Here is why you must visit Tarapur during Durga Puja

এটা বাংলায় পড়তে হলে এখানে ক্লিক করুন

Extremely crowded and congested road with a row of chat and egg roll stalls on one side, and Puja Pandals on the other and a huge number of police officials. This is a common sight of Tarapur during Durga Puja every year. Probably, Tarapur is the only place in Silchar which offers you so many high budget Pujas in one stretch. Whenever pandal hopping plans are made, a day is earmarked for Tarapur. Such is the importance of the place. Not only the sheer number of pandals, the history and culture associated with each of the Pujas also make Tarapur a place of historical importance.

Ananda Parishad:

If you are entering Tarapur from Silchar town, then Ananda Parishad will be the first pandal to welcome you. This year, the Puja Committee is celebrating its 85th anniversary by following a pollution free theme. The pandal is built out of imagination and is not a replica of any famous temple or monument of historical importance. Moreover, the pandal is being built with hand fans (Tal Pakha) made of palm leaves. Karimganj’s Raju Banik is in charge of pandal decoration. Though the rain has come as an obstacle yet the committee is happy with the work in progress. Silchar’s Kartik Suklabaidya is in charge of the idols and he is busy with his team with the finishing touches. Shibabrata Dutta is the president of the Puja committee and Debabrata Chakraborty is the secretary.

The committee plans to organise the inauguration ceremony on the occasion of Maha Panchami. A cultural event has been organised to mark the opening ceremony. Apart from the Puja, Ananda Parishad is famous for its opera (jatra pala) every year, the Puja committee organises an opera which draws a lot of crowds.

Tarapur Sarbajanin Durga Puja Committee or Motor Stand Puja

A little after Ananda Parishad is Tarapur Sarbajanin Durga Puja Committee or famously known as Motor Stand’s Puja. Right before entering Silchar railway station, lies a 55-foot tall mandap, that is Motor Stand’s 2018 presentation. Like Ananda Parishad, this pandal too is built out of imagination. Different kinds of idols ornament this pandal which makes it a worth-a-watch. The pandal has a touch of South Indian architecture while the idols inside will give visitors a feel of Rajasthan. The Puja committee is spending Rs 10 lakh this Durgo Utsav. In order to maintain peace and harmony and law and order, the Puja committee will deploy 30 volunteers.

The committee is celebrating its 63rd anniversary and the foundation stone was laid on the occasion of Janmashtami. Renowned sports administrator, Babul Hore is the president of the Puja committee.

Silchar Railway Station Puja

Silchar Railway station is less station and more of a community center in Barak Valley. It is to Silchar what Jantar Mantar is to Delhi, a platform for both trains and revolutionaries. After all, this is the station where 11 language martyrs were gunned to death by government officials. This year, the puja committee is celebrating its 86th anniversary and the pandal is built right at the entrance of the station.

Indian Railways employee puja committee’s pandal is built by Kolkata based artist Hare Krishna Das. This imaginary pandal has been erected on boats. Every year, the pandal and idol attract a lot of visitors. This year, the Puja committee is spending Rs 11 lakh and the fund has been collected from donations from the railway employees.

Kalimohan Road Sarbojanin Durga Puja    

Well, Sarbojanin it might call itsel but the other name of this Puja is ‘Rana Dev er Puja’ (Rana Dev’s Puja). Former union minister late Santosh Mohan Dev (Rana Dev) was one of the father figures of this Puja committee. This year too, Member of Parliament Sushmita Dev and her mother Bithika Dev are actively involved as president and chief adviser respectively.

The pandal this year looks very much like Buddha Temple with boat-like structure ornamenting it. Artist from Nabadwip Subhajit Paul is in charge of the pandal. This imaginary structure is built with bamboo, wood and plywood. Local artist Swapan Paul is in charge of Maa Durga and other god and goddess’ idols. The pandal, idols and boats are the primary attraction of Kalimohan Road this year.

If ‘Titli’ effect subsides, then the pandal is scheduled to be inaugurated on the auspicious occasion of Maha Panchami. If the weather does not play spoilsport, this pandal is expected to attract a huge crowd.

Pratham Palli Puja Committee

Amidst all the big-budget Pujas and mammoth pandals in Tarapur, Pratham Palli is an exception. This is a comparatively smaller pandal, but every inch of it is filled with respect and love for the visitors. The puja committee puts all its energy behind ensuring respectful fulfillment of all the Puja rituals. One can see the pandal from the Tarapur overbridge, but we suggest don’t do that. Instead walk in to see the idol. This year the idols are built with mud and no artificial ornaments is used. From sarees to ornaments, everything is carved out of mud making the idols one of the biggest attraction of Durga Puja in Barak Valley.