Go Green: Satya Nagar puja pandal puts faith in dried banana leaves

BHUBANESWAR: The Satya Nagar Durga puja committee has decided to give an eco-friendly feel to the pandal. It is using dried banana leaves to build the 75-ft-high pandal in the shape of a temple and has engaged 30 artisans from West Bengal for it.
Committee president Bhuban Mohan Patnaik said, "We have built the skeletal structure of the pandal with wooden pieces. The artisans are cutting the dried leaves according to the design, painting it and then fixing it on the pandal structure."
The committee is spending Rs 30 lakh for the puja, of which Rs 12 lakh will be spent on the pandal."People will be awestruck when lights will be fitted in the pandal," said Patnaik.
He said the committe decides upon an innovative design for the pandal every year. "We don't replicate any famous heritage building or monument. We design the structure from our imagination and work on it," he said.
He said they believe in 'Go Green' concept so the committee wanted to use environment-friendly material. "So we used the dried leaves for decoration of pandal instead of plastic or polythene," he added.
Another attraction of the puja is the idol of the goddess. Pearls will be used in the idol. "We are spending Rs 1.5 lakh for the 17-ft idol. Five artists from outside of the state are giving finishing touches to it," said committee secretary Manendra Das.
LED lighting system and designing of archway will be another attraction. "Volunteers will be deployed at the puja pandal to help devotees. CCTV cameras will be installed at the puja site to keep an eye on the crowd," said the committee members.
This year, the committee planned to give social messages like 'No to Liquor'. It will also give another message supporting physically-handicapped persons.