Bhubaneswar: Old Station Bazaar is all set to present a unique grandeur to the Durga Puja celebrations of Bhubaneswar with the ‘Nav Durga’ forms of Goddess Durga. Unlike other pandals, where the artists come from Kolkata, this is perhaps the only place in the city where the idols are made by artists from Cuttack.
For some strange reason, the pandal here replicates British architecture. Inside the pandal is Durga along with Navagunjara, Lord Jagannath’s form of nine animals together. The major attraction is the dome in the centre with a huge Shivalinga. “The foundation of the dome is a Yantra, which we connect with Lord Shiva and Parvati,” said a puja committee member.
The structure was under construction until two days ago.
The Durga idol here is 12 feet tall and has been made by artists from Sundarpada. It will be adorned with a gold crown, necklace, earrings and a nose ring, weighing up to 1.5 kg. Like the previous year, a 16-foot backdrop (Medha) has been created, using silver.
The pandal at the Old Station Bazaar stands out from the other pandals in the city every year. This time it is statues of tribal women. “These statues of tribal women are made from fibre by artists from Bhubaneswar. It takes about a month to complete them,” the committee member added.
Much to the delight of the visitors, the parking around platform no. 6 of the railway station, will be free. There will also be a wheel-chair facility at the pandal for senior citizens and the differently-abled.
