Correspondent
AGARTALA: Tripura is in a festive mood, with a record 3,047 Durga Pujas being held across the state, 50 more than last year's 2,997. Although the pujas officially began on Friday as per the almanac, the festivities started three days earlier, with dignitaries, including Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha and former Chief Minister and MP Biplab Kumar Deb, inaugurating pandals at various locations.
Thousands of people have taken to the streets for pandal-hopping throughout the night, with streets illuminated by decorative lights. The pandals feature replicas of famous landmarks and installations from across the world, including Dubai's skyline, the Surya Temple in Bangkok, the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati and Dwarka, among others. According to official sources, West Tripura district recorded the highest number of pujas at 775, followed by Sepahijala with 436 and Khowai with 408. Of the total pujas, 2,076 are being held in rural areas and 971 in urban areas. Police assistance booths have been set up across all eight districts to ensure the safety of visitors. West Tripura has the highest number of booths at 40, followed by Dhalai with 30 and Sepahijala with 27.
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) announced that it would run special trains on the Agartala-Dharmanagar and Agartala-Sabroom routes from October 18 to 21 to manage the additional festive rush.
The Agartala Municipal Corporation is organising a carnival for the immersion of Durga idols on October 23, when it expects a large number of tourists to visit the city.
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