From Dwarka to Ellora, temple-themed Durga Puja pandals attract crowds across Jharkhand

Themes inspired by ancient temples and architectural marvels ranging from Lord Krishnas legendary city of Dwarka in Gujarat to the Kailasa Temple at the Ellora Caves in Maharashtra are attracting pandal hoppers during Durga Puja in JharkhandSeveral puja committees have come up with grand pandals showcasing replicas of historic temples and architectural landmarks offering visitors a glimpse of Indias rich cultural and architectural heritageReplicas of the Dwarkadhish Temple in Gujarat Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur Tamil Nadu and Swarved Mahamandir in Varanasi have been set up in the state capital Ranchi while a pandal inspired by the Kailasa Temple at the Ellora Caves has been recreated in JamshedpurThe Chandra Shekhar Azad Durga Puja Samiti has modelled its pandal on the Dwarkadhish Temple in Gujarat The structure measures 190 feet in width 140 feet in length and 120 feet in heightThe entrance gate features a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing an underwater puja off the coast of Panchkui beach in Gujarat on February 25 2024 to pray at the site of the ancient submerged city of Dwarka in the Arabian SeaThis time we wanted to choose a replica of one of the temples being built as part of the countrys temple corridor projects A new temple in Dwarka has been built with a grand design and no puja pandal modelled on it had been set up in Jharkhand so far Therefore we chose the theme of Lord Krishnas city of Dwarka Ramesh Singh president of the committee told PTIAdorned with colourful lights the pandal took four months to construct at a cost of Rs 80 lakh More than one lakh devotees and visitors are expected to visit the venue Singh saidThe Bharatiya Navyuvak Sangh Durga Puja Committee has built a 105foothigh and 120footwide replica of the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur Tamil NaduThe Brihadeeswarar Temple was built by Chola king Rajaraja I about 1000 years ago Every year we try to offer visitors a unique experience This year we recreated the temple as a puja pandal and installed a 17foottall idol of Nandi Lord Shivas vehicle which has become a major attraction the committees spokesperson Amit Bajaj saidThe pandal is entirely ecofriendly with materials such as bamboo malai kanti softwood and dried coconut pieces used in its construction he saidA 17foottall idol of Goddess Durga crafted by artisans from Tamluk in West Bengal has been installed at the centre of the pandalThe organisers have allocated around Rs 125 crore for the event including Rs 70 lakh for the pandal The structure is located in Upper Bazar Last year the committee recreated Cambodias Angkor Wat Bajaj saidThousands of devotees and visitors are also thronging the Zilla School grounds near Shaheed Chowk in Ranchi to see a replica of Varanasis Swarved Mahamandir described as the worlds largest meditation centre The structure has been recreated by the Ram Lalla Durga Puja CommitteeThe committee is organising the Durga Puja for the third consecutive yearIts president Ashok Chaudhary told PTI that this is the first time the Swarved Mahamandir has been recreated as a puja pandal in JharkhandThe pandal is 100 feet high and 140 feet wide We have installed a 25foottall idol of Goddess Durga the tallest in the city Hundreds of artisans worked for around two months to construct the structure Our total budget for organising this years event is Rs 125 crore Chaudhary saidThe Panch Mandir Durga Puja Committee has erected a 90foothigh 65footwide and 55footlong pandal in Harmu inspired by Rajasthani architecture and designed as an imaginary royal temple its president Manoj Panday saidThe main attraction is the entrance gate which features highdefinition LED screens instead of conventional decorations Visible from a distance of around 500 metres the screens display content related to Goddess Durga and messages about JharkhandA 12foottall idol of Goddess Durga has been installed at the centre of the pandal Chief Minister Hemant Soren is the chief patron of the committeeThis year we have allocated a budget of Rs 90 lakh for organising the event Panday saidIn Jamshedpur a pandal inspired by the Kailasa Temple at the Ellora Caves in Maharashtra has emerged as a major attraction for devotees The structure has been erected at the MType ground in Adityapur by the Praveen Singh Seva Sansthan CommitteeThe theme showcases mountain formations wildlife birds and representations of ancient structures found in mountainous regions This is the 66th year that the committee has organised the event We have built a 60foothigh temple structure and installed a 22foottall idol of Goddess Durga brought from neighbouring West Bengal Shankar Singh a core member of the committee saidSound effects of waterfalls birds and wild animals have been incorporated at various points inside the pandal to enhance the experience for visitors The pandal was built at a cost of more than Rs 30 lakh Singh saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies 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