Permit from local police station a must for all Durga Puja pandals

Patna: Dussehra is just a month away and Puja Samitis have started designing elaborate pandals across the state capital.

The structure of the pandal near Dak Bungalow crossing, which is likely to resemble a famous South Indian temple, will be ready by the end of this week.

"Jagannath Pal from Kolkata has been at work for three weeks to prepare the idols of Goddess Durga and other deities," Navyuvak Sangh Shri Durga Puja Samiti Trust functionary Purushottam Mishra said on Monday, adding once the basic structure was ready, the committee would decide how the pandal would be decorated from outside.

A replica of Mumbai's Gateway of India will come up at

Boring Road

crossing. "The pandal construction began a few weeks ago but has been stopped due to the incessant rains. The idols are being designed by a Danapur-based artist," said

Shri Durga Puja Samiti Vyapar Mandal

secretary Rajesh Kumar.

The construction of a replica of the Mahavir Mandir began three weeks ago opposite

Krishna Apartment

on Boring Road. "Our schedule starts around Bengal's Khunti Puja which marks the beginning of Durga Puja preparations. While Bengali artists are working on the idols, the lightings will be taken care of by the famous Chandannagar designers," Shri Krishnapuri Durga Puja Samiti's media coordinator Shankar Singh said.

While artists have started working on prominent pandals like those near Pataliputra Sai temple and

Golghar

roundabout, some (the one at Shiv Mandir near Churi Market in Kadamkuan) will get a concrete shape after Bakrid on Tuesday. "The outer form of the pandal and its décor will be decided only after the artisans are free after the festival," Amit Anand, a functionary of Durga Puja Kalyan Samiti, Kadamkuan said.

Meanwhile, the Patna district administration, after a meeting with representatives of various Puja Samitis, has issued certain directives to them about specifics of pandal structures and other arrangements. All pandals should have a permit from their local police stations and furnish the names and contact details of all the functionaries and 10 members of their committee. The puja committee functionaries and volunteers should also don a uniform and wear identity cards to help the administration in crowd control and maintaining order.

"The construction of the pandal should be such that it does not encroach on the roads and traffic is not disrupted. Electric wires should not pass near the pandals and a temporary power connection is also a must for them. Adequate lighting arrangements, including a genset and emergency lights, need to be ready at the pandal venue," the directive of the district administration reads.

A portable fire-extinguisher, separate entry for men and women and a public address system to manage the crowd are also mandatory at the pandals. According to the directive, no cartoons, models or paintings targeting any specific person or community or provocative cassettes should be used.