Silchar, Oct 15: As lights flicker to life and artisans put the finishing touches to pandals and idols, Silchar is slipping into the festive rhythm of Durga Puja, with elaborate installations opening their gates ahead of the main celebrations.
Several of Silchar’s big-budget pujas have already opened, offering visitors a first look at imaginative themes, intricate craftsmanship and striking visual installations.
From a Rajasthan-inspired pandal in Udharbond to a water tunnel in Bilpar, this year’s celebrations blend traditional devotion with contemporary design.
At Udharbond’s Kalibari Road, the festivities carry an added milestone as the Durga Puja enters its 42nd year.
Swami Girishananda Maharaj, secretary of the Silchar Ramakrishna Mission Sevashram, inaugurated the celebrations in the presence of Udharbond MLA Rajdeep Goala and Borkhola MLA Kishor Nath.
The pandal draws inspiration from Rajasthan, with architectural motifs and decorative details lending the installation a distinctive character.
“The Rajasthan-themed presentation as a special attraction marking the puja’s 42-year journey,” Nath said.
In Bilpar, Mitali Sangha’s puja remains a familiar landmark on Silchar’s festive calendar.
Established in 1966, the club began organising Durga Puja in 1981. Its signature attraction is a pandal built over a pond, a distinctive setting that sets it apart from more conventional installations across the city.
Not far away, the Apanjan Durga Puja Committee has opted for a more contemporary spectacle. Inaugurated by monks of the Bharat Sevashram Sangha in Silchar, its pandal features a water tunnel as the principal attraction.
A bridge-like structure illuminated by an elaborate arrangement of lights is designed to create an immersive experience for visitors.
The tunnel was conceived by Kolkata-based artist Piyush Haldar, while Silchar artist Sanjib Das designed the exterior lighting theme.
Ranjan Roy, former ward commissioner and a key member of the organising committee, invited residents to visit the pandal with family and friends.
The committee has also adorned the Goddess with crystal ornaments, adding another distinctive element to the presentation.
Together, the installations reflect the growing visual ambition of Silchar’s Durga Puja celebrations, where traditional worship meets increasingly elaborate pandal design.
Yet behind the lights and spectacle lies a familiar challenge - managing the festive crowds without bringing everyday civic life to a standstill.
The Silchar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has stepped up preparations, focusing on traffic management, road repairs, sanitation, street lighting, uninterrupted power and water supply, noise control and idol immersion.
At a preparatory meeting chaired by SMC executive officer Abhijit Bey at the corporation’s conference hall on Tuesday, officials and other stakeholders reviewed arrangements for the festival.
The use of loudspeakers, particularly DJ systems, during the festivities and immersion processions came up for discussion.
The corporation also urged puja committees to avoid single-use plastic and made it clear that permission would not be granted for roadside pandals that obstruct traffic.
Ward-wise teams comprising labourers and supervisory officials have been formed to clean drains and remove roadside garbage.
The corporation’s utility branch has been directed to repair or replace faulty streetlights, while the municipal inspector has been tasked with ensuring cleanliness and the spraying of disinfectants around pandals.
Organisers have also been asked to provide dustbins, segregate waste and display appropriate signage.
The arrangements extend to the final act of the festivities. Idol immersion is scheduled for October 21 and 22, with the district administration directing that the process be completed within the two-day window.
At Sadarghat, the Forest Department will provide truckloads of sand, gravel, crusher dust and red soil for the arrangements.
The Inland Water Transport Department will deploy a motorboat for immersion operations and a launch for rescue work.
Police have been asked to maintain security at the ghat, while magistrates and disaster-response teams will be deployed to help prevent untoward incidents.
For now, however, Silchar is turning its attention to the Goddess rather than the logistical challenges ahead.
As the lights come on and the pandals fill, the city’s festive pulse is gathering pace, one illuminated tunnel, one elaborate installation and one crowded evening at a time.