Patnaites are ready to celebrate Puja functions

Dussehra is just a couple of days away. The flood water has receded a bit and people are back in the festive mood. Everyone is thankful to Goddess Durga for helping them in the time of crisis. They are also praying for those who are still trapped in the heavy-water logging, especially in the Rajendra Nagar area.
The crowd near Puja pandals has increased from Saptami onwards.The market is also buzzing with activity. The excitement of youths and children is back and they are now gearing up to celebrate the Puja with much enthusiasm. Yuvraj Kumar, a college student and a member of a Puja committee, said, “Heavy showers had spoilt the festive mood since the onset of Navratri. Now, the water level has receded in most of the areas. People want to enjoy this grand festival. We had to work day and night to complete the pandal.”
Patnaites are also eager to participate in various dandiya and garba functions. With dandiya sticks in hand, youngsters dressed in traditional attire throng the dandiya venues to perform and enjoy. Sadhna Singh, a member of a popular local club, said, “Dandiya functions have become very popular in Patna. People of all age groups participate in the dance function. Popular clubs, social organisations, hotels, restaurants and some of the Puja places have re-scheduled their dandiya programmes. Now, most of the functions will happen on Saptmi, Ashtami and Navami.”