ARINDAM GANGULY, OP
Bhubaneswar: With Durga Puja drawing closer, excitement is building across the City as puja committees race against time to complete their elaborate pandals and prepare to welcome Goddess Durga. Among the prominent celebrations this year, Nayapalli Durga Puja Committee is set to present a unique theme inspired by St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Rome, Italy. Explaining the choice of theme, puja committee member and advisor Nabakishore Behera said Vatican City is regarded as a sacred and spiritual centre for the global Roman Catholic community.
Vatican City is an independent sovereign city-state located within Rome. “Just as Vatican City is a sacred place for Christians, Durga Puja is sacred to us. That is why we decided to recreate the architectural grandeur of St Peter’s Basilica as our pandal this year,” Behera said. The pandal will be around 110 feet wide and 80 feet high. More than 40 artisans from West Bengal and Kataka are working on the structure, with preparations continuing at full pace ahead of the festival. According to the committee, the artisans are using natural materials such as bamboo, timber poles, coconut leaves and coir ropes to construct the temporary structure, making it both sturdy and environmentally friendly. The committee is also planning an elaborate presentation for the idols. The Goddess Durga and side deities will be adorned with silver mukuts (crowns) and traditional jew ellery, adding to the grandeur of the celebrations. “This is the 39th year of the Nayapalli Durga Puja,” said committee president Bishnu Behera. With thousands of devotees expected to visit the puja venue during the festivities, the committee has also made arrangements for crowd management and public assistance. “For the safety and convenience of devotees during Durga Puja, we have arranged more than 300 volunteers, including around 100 women volunteers, who will assist visitors and attend to their needs and queries,” said committee secretary Prakash Chandra Behera. The Nayapalli puja committee has experimented with distinctive cultural themes in previous years as well.
Last year, the committee showcased a Kerala-inspired theme, highlighting the state’s traditional culture and featuring a depiction of the Kathakali dance form in a prayer setting. This year’s Vatican-inspired pandal is expected to add another distinctive attraction to Bhubaneswar’s Durga Puja celebrations, blending religious symbolism, architecture and traditional craftsmanship.
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