In Arunachal
Ministers and MLAs belonging to different faiths, including Buddhists and Christians, joined the people in celebrating Durga Puja at the temple in the ministerial enclave here as puja fervour gripped Arunachal Pradesh.
Nearly one hundred community pujas are being held in different parts of the eastern-most Himalayan State. The State capital with a mixed population of tribals and people from different parts of the country, itself is hosting half the pujas.
Local colour has been added to the traditional festivity with the Goddess donning ‘Gale’, a local attire with tribal ornaments at Chandannagar area.
The colourful pandals, mostly perched on hill tops, could be visible together from any given point in this stadium shaped town with hills surrounding Indira Gandhi park.
While in day time the hills provide perfect backdrop for propitiating ‘Parvati’, the daughter of Himalaya, the olourfully lit pandals light up the evening sky.
Audio systems blaring hymns from different pandals reverbrate amidst the hills. Old timers remember the first puja here was organised at the community hall in the early seventies.
The Puja at Mob-II area completed 25 years last year. Pujas at Kali bari, North Eastern Institute for Science and Technology(NERIST) and Rama Krishna Mission Hospital draw huge crowd every year. Pujas are also being held at district towns, including Pasighat, the oldest town in the State, which sees six Pujas this time against four last year. The Puja at Niti Vihar Durga Temple was re-started by the ministers last year after Dorjee Khandu, a Buddhist, came to power dislodging Gegong Apang in April 2007.
In Mizoram
The Hindu community across Mizoram today started observing Durga Puja with peace and gaiety. “As usual, the Durga puja is celebrated under peaceful atmosphere without any untoward incident.
We are receiving warm wishes and good co-operation from the Mizos. This proves that people of all faiths in Mizoram are maintaining their harmonious co-existence,” Aizawl-based Hindustan Club president and Mizoram law secretary P Chakraborty told UNI here today. On the occasion of the puja, “we the Hindu community here are greeting the peace-loving Mizos for their hospitality,” Chakraborty said.
Mizoram Governor M M Lakhera has visited the pandal to join in the celebrations, Chakraborty said. The puja committee also distributed clothes and other items to the poor families to mark the occasion.
The Assam Rifles, Border Security Force, Border Road Task Force were also celebrating the puja at their respective places. (UNI)
In Tripura
Hundreds of devotees across the state today joined Maha Ashtami prayer, second day of Durga puja, despite fear of terrorist attacks. Security has been tightened in all puja pandals and temples from last night.
According to reports, police have installed full-fledged frisking mechanism including metal detector in five temples where thousands of people have queued to offer prayer.
People in the city used to come out after mid-night but this year a small portion of the dwellers enjoyed puja late night and most of the shops were closed after 2300 hours, said traffic officials adding they put the ‘no entry’ board at 1900 hrs instead of 1500 hrs.
Fear gripped the state with the recovery of at least seven suspicious packets and bags from different places in Agartala during last 48 hours.
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