Kumar Rajiv Nayan
Ara : Take your pick—The Shiv Temple of Chennai, Manas Tempe of Varanasi, Maa Dakshineshwar Temple of Kolkata, Fort of Mysore, Shiv Temple of Kolkata, Mahakaleshwar Temple of Ujjain, Jain Temple of Rajgir and so on. With about 150 Durga Puja Committees putting up their best show through elaborate pandals and decor, people of Ara, headquarters of Bhojpur district, are spoilt for choice as they celebrate puja. The beauty of the interiors, the lighting and height of pandals and idols of the goddess Durga leave the devotees awestruck.
And it is not just temples or architectural beauty, the youngsters in the town have gone a step ahead in designing a pandals at Mirganj on light and sound showing Maa Durga getting supernatural powers from different lords in her bid to kill Mahishasur. Fight between Maa Durga and the demon is shown through light and sound show on Sapana Cinema Road and Nala Road.
The entire Ara town has turned into a ‘City of Temples.’ Sri Sri Durga Puja Samiti, Navyuvak Sangh near Bank Colony, has replicated the Fort of Mysore and its 60 feet high and 55 feet wide pandal has been beautifully decorated with colourful lights and sound. Then there Sri Durga Puja Samiti, Garden Club near Girija Mors replicating the Shiv Temple of Jaipur with its 85 feet high and 70 feet wide pandal.
The pandals at Chandawa Mor, Mahavir Tola, Devi Sthan, K G Road, D T Road, Mir Ganj, Shiv Ganj, Gopali Chowk, Nawada are other attractions for the devotees. The pandals are replicas of The Shiv Temple of Chennai, Manas Tempe of Varanasi, Maa Dakshineshwar Temple of Kolkata, Fort of Mysore, Shiv Temple of Kolkata, Mahakaleshwar Temple of Ujjain, Jain Temple of Rajgir. The whole Ara town is dotted with pandals.
A pandal representing replica of Victoria of Kolkata at ministerial quarters has also been set up. Artists from Kolkata have been called for the purpose and over Rs 10 lakh has been spent on it, said Amit Kumar Pandey, president Group Kala Mandir. A pandal replicating Fort of Mysore at Bank Colony has cost about Rs 7 lakh, said Chandan Mishra of Sri Durga Puja Samiti, Nav Yuvak Sangh.
Durga Puja near Aranaya Devi temple is about 70 year old and this year too, the organisers of the Puja have set up a pandal of about 75 feet and idol of Maa Durga 40 feet high. A pandal said to be replica of famous Mahakaleshwar Temple of Ujjain has been set up at Syndicate at a cost of Rs 3 lakh, said Kamal Kishore Pathak, president, Navrang Kala Mandir. He said the Puja is being organised for the last 58 years.