ARINDAM GANGULY, OP
Bhubaneswar: As the Capital City gets ready to welcome Goddess Durga, puja committees across the City are racing against time to give their pandals finishing touches.
At Bomikhal, the celebrations are set to take visitors on a journey to the glittering skyline of Dubai.
The Bomikhal Durga Puja Committee has chosen the UAE city as the theme for its pandal this year, with replicas of some of its most iconic landmarks set to form the centrepiece of the celebrations.
The committee, which has been organising Durga Puja in the locality for decades, had opted for a peacock-themed pandal last year.
This year, it has turned to Dubai’s famed architecture and skyline for inspiration.
“We have chosen Dubai because of its luxury, modern architecture and iconic landmarks.
We want to showcase the city’s special attractions through our pandal,” committee secretary Sailendra Kumar Jena told OrissaPOST.
The pandal will feature replicas and representations of landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa and Atlantis, giving visitors a glimpse of Dubai’s distinctive architectural landscape.
Adding to the grandeur will be the idol of Goddess Durga, which will be adorned with around 18 kg of silver ornaments.
For the organisers, however, the Dubai theme is not merely about grandeur.
It also carries a message of transformation and collective effort. “Dubai was once a desert, but it has transformed into a world-class city.
If Dubai could achieve such transformation, Bhubaneswar too has the resources and potential to develop further.
What is needed is faith, unity and togetherness among people,” committee treasurer Aditya Kumar Jena said.
The pandal, measuring around 80 feet in height and 110 feet in width, is being built by around 35 artisans from West Bengal and Kataka.
The artisans have been working on the structure for the past two months. This year marks the 63rd year of Durga Puja celebrations at Bomikhal, Jena said.
With the themed pandal expected to draw large crowds, the committee has also made elaborate security arrangements.
CCTV cameras have been installed in the area, while more than 100 security personnel and volunteers will be deployed to regulate crowds and ensure the safety of visitors, particularly women and children.
The committee, however, has flagged the condition of roads in the locality ahead of the festivities.
“We have informed the police and the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation about the road problems in the area.
They have assured us that the roads will be repaired before Durga Puja,” Jena said.
With a Dubai-inspired pandal, a silver-adorned idol and extensive security arrangements, Bomikhal is gearing up for a Durga Puja that promises to blend spectacle with a message of transformation and community spirit.