Guwahati: Guwahati is preparing for an impressive Kali Puja celebration as the city embraces Diwali festivities, with markets adorned with diyas, vibrant lights, and firecrackers. Various organizations across the city are constructing elaborate pandals for the occasion.
In the Kalapahar Colony Bazar area, the Vivekananda Sporting Club is commemorating their diamond jubilee celebrations with a remarkable 75-foot-tall pandal inspired by a prominent Buddhist temple in Bangkok. This structure is anticipated to be a significant attraction for city residents.
The club’s joint secretary, Sashanka Chakraborty, discussed their historic Kali Puja celebration and the construction of their large pandal. He stated, “This year, the pandal is erected taking inspiration from Wat Arun temple, which is the biggest temple in Thailand, to celebrate northeast’s biggest Kali Puja. A unique aspect of the grand pandal is that no professional artists have been engaged to make the pandal, it is solely being built by the club members. The overall expense of this year's Puja is expected to be around Rs 30 lakh. We have been making attractive pandals every year. Last year we made a large idol of lord Ram.”
The celebration will feature a three-day cultural program with performances by groups from Kolkata and Mumbai. Visitors can access the pandal starting Wednesday.
The Tridhara Boys’ club in Pandu area has also created an impressive display with their 65-foot-tall reproduction of the Dakhineswar Kali temple from West Bengal, marking their ninth year of Kali Puja celebrations. Rikki Mallick, the puja organizing committee’s vice-president, explained, “The pandal is a tribute to Bengal’s iconic temple architecture. Apart from the grand pandal, a 17-foot-tall idol of goddess Kali is also made by a group of artisans from Kolkata. As part of the four-day long celebrations a national level dance competition and other exciting cultural programs will be held. The pandal which will be inaugurated for the visitors on Oct 30, is expected to receive much higher footfall than last year.”