100 kg gold jewellery to adorn Goddess Durga and four other deities at Siliguri’s Central Colony Durga Puja

Siliguri, 15th September: Goddess Durga, along with Kartik, Ganesh, Lakshmi and Saraswati, will be adorned with a special 100 kg gold ensemble for the first time in North Bengal. The 64th edition of Central Colony Durga Puja Committee announced the special arrangements at a press conference at Siliguri Journalists’ Club on Tuesday.

Every year, Central Colony brings a new attraction to its Durga Puja celebrations, and this year’s arrangements are set to be on a larger scale. With the support of Senco Gold, a special 100 kg gold ensemble is being prepared to adorn Goddess Durga along with Kartik, Ganesh, Lakshmi and Saraswati. A puja mandap is also being created by a renowned artist from Balurghat, while dazzling illumination by artists from Chandannagar will be another major attraction this year.

The puja venue has also been changed this year. The Railways is carrying out work to develop a cricket ground at the previous venue. As a result, the puja will be organised at a ground near NJP Police Station, around 200 metres from the previous location. Despite the change in venue, the puja committee says it does not want to compromise on the arrangements or attractions.

With a large crowd expected to visit the idols adorned in the 100 kg gold ensemble, special emphasis is being placed on security. Barricades will be installed around eight feet before the mandap, while the entire area will remain under CCTV surveillance.

Several security guards and private security personnel will be deployed, along with extensive police security under the supervision of senior state police officials. A separate barricade will also be installed behind the mandap.

According to the organisers, invitation letters have already been sent to several prominent personalities, including the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, MPs and MLAs. The name of the chief guest will be announced around a week before the Puja. The inauguration will be held at 6 pm on Tritiya.

The unprecedented 100 kg gold ensemble has already generated considerable curiosity across Siliguri and North Bengal. The organisers expect a large number of tourists visiting the city during the Puja, along with local visitors, to turn up at the venue.