Puja committee moves court of Durga idol making
Cuttack: The Balu Bazar Puja Committee of Cuttack on Tuesday moved the Orissa high court seeking its intervention for start of construction of the clay statues or ‘Mrunamayi murti’ for Durga Puja. This year, the festivities will start from October 21 and continue till October 27.
Clay from the river banks for the idols were brought by the puja committee members on Janmastami and Nanda Utsav on August 11and August 12 respectively. There was no procession as four persons per committee were allowed to participate in the rituals.
The making of the idols was supposed to start on Radhastami, which this year was celebrated on Tuesday (August 25). But this year, the district administration is yet to give permission for start of idol making.
Balubazar Puja Committee president Suryakant Sangneria (69) said till now the deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Cuttack, has only allowed us to bring the clay. “There is no word on the construction of the clay idols. As a result, the work could not be started on Tuesday,” he said.
Sangneria has filed the petition along with two secretaries of the Balubazar Puja Committee Rajendra Samal and Ramesh Chandra Behera. They have sought the court’s direction to allow construction and worship of goddess Durga as it is more than a five-century-old tradition, but without the pomp and ceremony as per the pandemic guidelines of Government of India and Government of Odisha from October 21 to October 27. The puja committee has been worshipping the goddess since 1509.