Assam fights floods, demonetisation to host ‘record-breaking’ Durga Puja celebrations

Assam fought against all odds, including floods and demonetisation, to host a grand Durga Puja celebrations.

Guwahati, Sep 28: As one hop from one Durga Puja pandal to another in Guwahati, the hub of Northeast region and host to Assam's capital Dispur, there is no sign of devastating floods and demonetisation, the twin blows that hit the state badly this year.

Instead, in Guwahati itself there are around 500 small and big Durga Puja pandals to celebrate the festival with great pomp and joy. According to an estimate there would be at least 15,000 pandals across the state celebrating the Durga Puja since Wednesday.

The best part is that most of the pandals are "world-class" with designer idols of goddess Durga and lights taking glitz and glamour several notches higher.

Everyone in the country is talking about the 102-foot Durga idol, constructed by artist Nuruddin Ahmed with over 5,000 bamboos for the pandal hosted by the Bishnupur Durga Puja committee in the city.

Both the artisans and members of the puja pandal committee are confident that the idol will register its place in both the Guinness World Records and the Limca Book of Records. The idol has been reconstructed despite being destroyed in a storm on September 17.

"We have submitted all the documents and paid the registration fees for Guinness World Records as well as Limca Book of Records. We hope the celebrations will continue even after the puja as the authorities will make the announcement after the puja," Biman Debnath, a member of the committee, told The Telegraph.

Along with the "record-breaking" attempt on part of Ahmed and his team, puja pandals in Guwahati are attracting people with best use of technology and eco-friendly measures. A pandal in Guwahati has installed a 3D idol of goddess Durga. Similarly, many pandals are using only organic and eco-friendly items to keep Guwahati clean and green.

Likewise, festive fervour has gripped other parts of the state. Governor Banwarilal Purohit and chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal greeted people on the occasion of Durga Puja celebrations.

This year, Assam has been in the grip of floods since June. As recent as September 11, seven districts of the state got submerged due to heavy rains. One person was also killed in the floods.

A total of 160 people have died and thousands of acres of cropland got destroyed in floods this time. Although there are no official figures, floods are stated to have caused heavy financial losses to the state.

A teacher of economics in a well-known college in Guwahati said that floods have caused major financial losses to the state.

"How can we forget that so many people have died and many have lost their livelihoods due to floods? Moreover, demonetisation and the hasty introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) too have badly affected Assam like the rest of the country. It is the sheer strength of the people that they are celebrating Durga Puja," he added.

"It's the time to forget all earthly problems and sadness and welcome the goddess Durga with great pomp and joy. We hope goddess gives us the strength to fight all problems like floods and demonetisation," said a priest in a puja pandal in Guwahati.

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