Bhubaneswar To Witness DJ Music, Alcohol & Plastic-Free Dussehra This Year

FOR THE LAST ONE TIME: Cuttack bids adieu to Maa Durga at the pandals in the city, including the oldest at Balu Bazaar, with the immersion ceremony when the goddess ends her annual sojourn to her paternal home and returns to her husband Lord Shiva at their heavenly abode in Mount Kailash. Photo: Suprakash Mishra

Bhubaneswar: No DJ music will be played at Durga Puja pandals and during the immersion procession in Odisha capital, Twin City Commissioner of Police Sanjeeb Panda informed on Tuesday.

“No DJ music vehicle will be allowed. The effort is to make Dussehra free of vibrato music, alcohol and plastic,” he told reporters.

The decisions were taken by the Commissionerate Police in consultation with all the stakeholders during a preparatory meeting here. Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das, local MLAs, senior police officials, Fire Service officials, representatives of WATCO and Tata Power were also present.

This apart, musical melody programme at the puja pandals will be allowed till 10 pm instead of midnight. The puja committees have abeen asked not to use crackers with high decibel during ‘Ravana Podi’. They have also assured to ditch plastic and chemicals during the making of the idols.

In a first, the puja committee members will also take an oath to abide by the guidelines, sources said.

The Excise department will take measures to prevent illegal liquor sale during the puja. The government has readied a single window clearance system for the puja committees to get required licence for organising the Puja and immersion procession.

A total of 171 puja pandals will be erected in Bhubaneswar this year, the sources added.