Upper Assam Durga pujas gear up for visitors

JORHAT: As the Durga Puja celebrations started on Saturday evening, more than 100 pandals in the three upper Assam towns of Jorhat, Golaghat and Sivasagar prepared to offer prayers and 'pushpanjali' to the Goddess from Sunday morning. Puja organizers have completed their preparations to receive the hordes of devotees who started flocking to the pandals from Saptami onwards to offer pushpanjali.
In Jorhat town, 74 puja pandals have been erected so far with beautiful decor and modern lighting. Organizers are trying to attract the visitors with innovative themes and décor in their pandals.
In Jorhat, the must-visit pandals are the Burhi Gosani Dewalaya, Baruari, JPR Road, Chock Bazaar, station, Malow Ali, Rupahi Ali, Raja Moidam and Tarajan Puja Sanmilan pujas. An organizer of the JPR Road puja committee said, "We are trying our best to beautify the pandal in order to attract visitors. Ours is among the oldest pujas in Jorhat town and thousands of people visit our pandal every year."
In Sivasagar, 22 pujas have been organized at various places across the town. The most famous ones are the ones organized by the Devi Dol Puja Committee, Dolmukh puja, AT Road Sarbajajin Durga Puja and KP Chariali puja. The Devi Dol puja is the oldest puja in the town and was started during Ahom reign in Assam.
In Golaghat town too, puja preparations were in full swing till Saturday afternoon. Of 13 pujas in the town, of which the Golaghat Puja Committee and Golaghat Sanatan Dharma Samaj pujas are the most famous. A member of Golaghat Puja Committee said, "Our puja is the oldest one in Golaghat and the second oldest in Assam. It was started in 1887 and completes 125 years this year."
Another organizer said, "The Sanaton Dharma Samaj puja is also one of the remarkable pujas in town and was started 62 years ago."