The 69-year-old Jhalukpara Sarbajanin Durga Puja also features an idol crafted from around two lakh matchsticks.
Dibrugarh, Oct 15: From tea stalls and railway stations to barber shops, newspapers once brought people together to catch up on the latest news. Today, mobile phones have largely taken over that role, a transformation that the Jhalukpara Sarbajanin Durga Puja in Dibrugarh is seeking to capture through its theme this year, “Mobiles Replace Newspapers”.
The 69-year-old puja, one of Dibrugarh’s prominent Durga Puja celebrations, has chosen the changing habits of news consumption as the centrepiece of its pandal, reflecting how digital platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping the way people access information.
The organisers have sought to recreate scenes from an era when people gathered at tea stalls, railway stations and barber shops to read newspapers, discuss current affairs and exchange views. The contrast with the present, when news is available at the touch of a screen, forms the central idea of the installation.
“Earlier, people read newspapers and books to get information, but now they get news on their mobile phones. Digital media and artificial intelligence have made significant inroads and transformed the entire scenario,” said Krishna Bhartia, president of the Jhalukpara Durga Puja Committee.
Bhartia said the pandal would highlight public spaces where newspaper reading was once a familiar sight, with tea stalls being among the most popular gathering points.
“We are trying to showcase how people once gathered in one place to read newspapers. But things have changed, and people now largely depend on digital media and AI for information,” he said.
The theme offers a glimpse of a broader shift in everyday life, as smartphones increasingly replace the shared experience of reading a newspaper. What was once a common sight at roadside tea stalls and other public places has gradually given way to people scrolling through news on their individual screens.
The organisers have also sought to combine the contemporary theme with an emphasis on environmentally conscious celebrations. The Durga idol has been crafted using around two lakh matchsticks, showcasing the artisans’ skill and adding an unusual attraction to the pandal.
As preparations gather pace ahead of the festival, artisans and organisers are putting the finishing touches to the decorations. Known for its distinctive themes and elaborate pandal designs, the Jhalukpara puja draws visitors from across Dibrugarh and neighbouring areas every year.
This year, the organisers are hoping that the juxtaposition of an older newspaper-reading culture with today’s mobile-driven news habits will prompt visitors to reflect on how dramatically the ways people read, communicate and share information have changed.
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