Talcher Ganesh Puja: Huge Footfall Beats Earlier Counts

TALCHER(Fast Mail News):--The famous Ganesh Puja at Talcher  draws thousands of devotees these days from various parts of the state as well as outside the state. The festival, with its traditional fervour and gaiety which began on Chaturthi would conclude on September10,after a celebration of ten days here at Talcher.

The puja which couldn’t be held in the last two years due to restrictions caused by Corona pandemics has become an excitement with enthusiasm for each family member to celebrate the ganesh Puja this year.For denizens of Talcher,  the celebration has become now a mass festival(gana parba) for the people of Talcher.

Artistically and innovatively decorated Puja pandals with alluring idols of Lord Ganesh were put up at various places in the coal city of Talcher which drew huge crowds for ten days. This year there are 70 bug puja mandaps erected at different places of Talcher coal city. Besides, big idols,people here worship Lord Ganesh in each house of Talcher.

The colourful decoration and illumination from Handidhuan to Talcher Bada Danda Sahi have added to the festive spirit of people who are thronging to witness the Puja. The visitors praised the Puja organisers for their enthusiasm as well as creative and innovative spirit.

With the puja started from 31 August, the crowd in the evening is swelling with thousands of people are coming to enjoy puja, said one Nirmal Kumar Behera.He said,”As the puja is being celebrated after two years in a grandeur manner.The Puja is very ‘unique’. All Puja mandaps are built thematically with stories from Ramayana and Maha Bharat.I have a strong faith in Lord Ganesh and I visit here each year with my family to have a darshan of Ganapati Baba”.

The president of Talcher Central Ganesh Puja Committee Keshav Bhutia  said,” We have organised the festival this year  in a grand manner as it is being celebrated after two years. We have categorised each Puja mandap into two categories as A and B and each Puja committees decorated their mandaps in a competitive manner”.

“There are several meetings of the committee meeting with the administration and the police to chalk out the plans to ensure the smooth observance. All the puja committees are co-operating with their best of the available resources. I hope the current festival which is to be continued till September 10 will attract thousands of people from all parts of the state”he said.

The immersion ceremony  will be ended with the auction of “Ganesh laddu” which will be held on 10,sep. Laddu auction is the main attraction as the auction had fetched around Rs 7.5 lakhs two years back.