SILCHAR : Silchar is slipping into the festive rhythm of Durga Puja, with elaborate pandals, intricate artwork and dramatic lighting transforming neighbourhoods across the city and its outskirts ahead of the main celebrations.

Several big-budget pujas have already opened their gates, offering visitors a glimpse of this year’s attractions. From a Rajasthan-inspired installation in Udharbond to a pandal built over a pond in Bilpar and an illuminated water tunnel elsewhere in the city, organisers are combining traditional worship with increasingly ambitious designs.

At Kalibari Road in Udharbond, the celebrations carry added significance as the puja enters its 42nd year. Swami Girishananda Maharaj, secretary of the Silchar Ramakrishna Mission Sevashram, inaugurated the festivities in the presence of Udharbond MLA Rajdeep Goala and Borkhola MLA Kishor Nath.

The pandal draws inspiration from Rajasthan, with architectural motifs and decorative details giving the installation a distinctive character.

Nath described the Rajasthan-themed presentation as a special attraction marking the puja’s 42-year journey.

In Bilpar, Mitali Sangha’s Durga Puja remains a familiar fixture on Silchar’s festive calendar. Established in 1966, the club began organising the puja in 1981. Its signature attraction is a pandal built over a pond, setting it apart from conventional installations across the city.

The Apanjan Durga Puja Committee, meanwhile, has opted for a contemporary visual experience. Inaugurated by monks of the Bharat Sevashram Sangha in Silchar, the pandal features an illuminated water tunnel designed to draw visitors into a distinctive setting.

A bridge-like structure, enhanced by elaborate lighting, forms the centrepiece of the installation. Kolkata-based artist Piyush Haldar conceived the tunnel, while Silchar artist Sanjib Das designed the exterior lighting theme.

The committee has also adorned the Goddess with crystal ornaments, adding another distinctive element to the presentation.

Ranjan Roy, a former ward commissioner and a key member of the organising committee, has invited residents to visit the pandal with family and friends.

Together, the installations reflect the growing creative ambition of Silchar’s Durga Puja celebrations, where traditional devotion increasingly shares space with immersive designs and elaborate visual displays.

Civic preparations under scrutiny

Behind the festive spectacle, however, lies the challenge of keeping the city functioning as crowds gather at popular pandals. The Silchar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has stepped up preparations, focusing on traffic management, road repairs, sanitation, street lighting, uninterrupted power and water supply, noise control and idol immersion arrangements.

At a preparatory meeting chaired by SMC executive officer Abhijit Bey at the corporation’s conference hall on Tuesday, officials and other stakeholders reviewed the arrangements for the festival. The use of loudspeakers, particularly DJ systems, during celebrations and immersion processions featured prominently in the discussions.

The corporation has urged puja committees to avoid single-use plastic and made it clear that permission would not be granted for roadside pandals that obstruct traffic.

Ward-wise teams comprising labourers and supervisory officials have been formed to clean drains and remove roadside garbage. The corporation’s utility branch has been directed to repair or replace faulty streetlights, while the municipal inspector has been tasked with ensuring cleanliness and disinfectant spraying around pandals.

Organisers have also been asked to install dustbins, segregate waste and display appropriate signage.

Two-day immersion plan

The final phase of the celebrations will bring its own logistical demands. Idol immersion is scheduled for October 21 and 22, with the district administration directing that the process be completed within the two-day window.

At Sadarghat, the Forest Department will supply truckloads of sand, gravel, crusher dust and red soil to facilitate the arrangements.

The Inland Water Transport Department will deploy a motorboat for immersion operations and a launch for rescue work. Police have been asked to maintain security at the ghat, while magistrates and disaster-response teams will be deployed to help prevent untoward incidents.

As Silchar’s pandals draw visitors with elaborate themes and dazzling lights, the festival will also test the city’s civic preparedness. Managing crowds, keeping roads accessible and ensuring clean surroundings will be as important as the visual spectacle in determining how smoothly the celebrations unfold.