Durga Puja a glittering affair in Cuttack

Cuttack, Oct 2:

celebration here is a glittering show with the goddess and her progeny as well as Mahisashura, the demon she is seen slaying, adorning gold and silver jewellery for which this millennium city is famous.

This year at least 100 quintals of silver and more than 20 kg of gold fashioned into jewelleries and 'medha', the ornate and intricate piece that forms the backdrop of the idols, at an estimated cost of over Rs 50 crore are on display during ongoing four-day festival, claimed an office bearer of Mahanagar Puja Committee, the apex body of community puja organisers here.

The Choudhury Bazar puja in the city, which is the trendsetter, has used more than 15 kg gold for the ornaments of the deities and the 'medha', says its president Ganesh Chandra Sahoo.

"Besides the ornaments of Goddess Durga and the accompanying deities, we have made gold crowns for them, including that of Mahisashura," he said, adding over three kg gold has been used in the 'medha' itself.

The Naya Sarak Puja Committee has joined the elite club of those who exhibit silver 'medha' this year. "We have used over three quintals of silver in making it (the 'medha') and a gate in the pandal for Rs 1.5 crore," said its president Sanjay Kumar Sahoo.

According to a senior police official, at least 19 puja committees in the city have put up the silver 'medhas' and five of the elite puja pandals have decorated the idols with gold crowns and jewelleries.

To add to the glitter, the 150-odd puja committees of the city are spending over Rs 15 crore for decoration of the pandals, the welcome arches and immersion procession this year, the organisers said.

PTI