Durga Puja festivities began in Meghalaya as devotees expressed hope that the festival will fill the lives of the people with happiness, prosperity and joy.
A total of 243 community Durga Puja and 11 private Durga Puja pandals have been raised across the State, the Central Puja Committee (CPC) informed today. Out of these 123 are in the Khasi Hills, 11 in Jaintia Hills and 116 in Garo Hills.
The four-day Durga Puja is synonymous with fancy pandals. On Sunday, the festival will feature one of CPC’s popular drum-beat competition, at the Puja Pandal in Rilbong to greet the Goddess Durga on Maha Ashtami.
The competitions will be held in group and individual category and the winning drum beaters will be awarded cash Prizes along with medals. Running Trophy will be awarded to the winning (group) and runner-up Durga Puja Pandal. Late Shiv Kumar Memorial Running Trophy will be awarded to winning Puja Committee ( Group ) donated by Ajay Agarwal and his family, the CPC informed.
Meanwhile, police personnel have been deployed round the clock for security to all Durga Puja pandals of Greater Shillong in particular and in the other districts, sub-divisions.
The committee said all Durga Puja committees in the city have raised volunteer group to assist the traffic police to regulate traffic flow and crowd during the festivities. Besides, the trained vigilance committee will keep vigil and check each and every pandals with regards to their safety and security.
The CPC further said all Durga Puja Pandals will be equipped with CCTV cameras and fire extinguishers, first-aid box, and garbage throwing bins. However, small budget Puja pandals are being exempted from installing CCTV, it said.
To facilitate the Puja visitors, CPC has also requested the SPTS through the Deputy Commissioner for plying of buses in the city up to 11 pm from today till October 23 in some selected routes and urged authorities to keep parking lots in Police Bazar, Polo, Luckier Road etc open till midnight during upcoming Durga Puja days.
On incoming immersion day the CPC will deploy more than 100 volunteers at the ghats in Polo, CS Point and 4th Furlong Junction and at different immersion routes of the city to assist the district administration.
The CPC further informed that the annual “Sarad Sanman Award” will be awarded to eight prominent personalities of Shillong during the valedictory function to be held after the Chatt Puja Festival.
