Chorus grows to come up with Puja guidelines

Ranchi: Lalpur-based idolmaker Ajoy Pal nearly lost his life to Covid-19 when the second wave of the pandemic reached Jharkhand in April this year. Medical treatment drained Pal of lakhs of rupees, but he is still hopeful of a turnaround in fortunes as the second wave subsided.
“Last year, we could not sell 28 idols of Goddess Durga owing to the restrictions imposed by the Jharkhand government in its Puja guidelines. This year, we have built 20 small idols (below five feet) of the goddess. But as the government is yet to issue guidelines for this year, none of the Puja committees have placed their orders. Now, I have nearly 50 idols and a bank loan close to Rs 18 lakh and I do not know what to do,” Pal told TOI in his Peace Road-based workshop on Sunday.
Puja committees, idolmakers, pandal-makers and florists are eagerly waiting for the Jharkhand government to come clean on the Durga Puja, which is a little over 45 days away.
“We have not been able to plan anything related to the Durga Puja. A meeting of the committee members was scheduled on August 15, but then we got word that the guidelines will be issued soon. But there has been nothing from the government so far,” Ashok Choudhary, president of Bakri Bazar Puja Committee, told TOI.
Suresh Agarwal, the president of Satya Amar Lok Puja Committee in Harmu Road, said: “Building pandals and idols take time. It cannot happen in a matter of days. If a guideline is not issued at the earliest, how will we make the arrangements?”
In 2020, prominent Puja committees of the city had unanimously agreed to prune the grandeur of their respective Pujas and make the arrangements by raising money within their members. However, the state government had banned entry of visitors into the pandals and ordered that committees could not have idols above five feet.
“There is no third wave. But the government should make its stand clear without any delay. Else, thousands of craftsmen will lose out on their income. And the committees will be forced to organise Pujas by the roadside as Pujas will have to take place at all costs,” president of a city-based Durga Puja committee said.
State disaster management secretary Amitabh Kaushal did not respond to TOI’s calls when contacted.