European Imperial Palace Theme Draws Crowds to Tulasi Choura Durga Puja Pandal in Baripada,Mayurbhanj, odisha

Baripada, October 18 | Gour Das Giri The Tulasi Choura Sarbajanina Durga Puja in Baripada has entered its 42nd year, continuing its legacy as one of the largest and most renowned Durga Puja celebrations in North Odisha. This year, the pandal has been designed on the theme of a European Imperial Palace, attracting thousands of devotees and visitors. The puja was first organised in 1985 with the support of local intellectuals and residents. Among those who played key roles in its establishment were the late Prabhas Chandra Giri, Shantanu Kar, Arun Sahahani, Dr Arun Ghosh (Buna Bhai) and Suresh Nayak, along with local youth Vivekananda Nayak, Satyanarayan Barik,Damburudhar khetri, Barun Ghosh and Biswaranjan Giri and Gouro Giri, prahalad Behera,Tapan jena, Anil satpathy, Natho bhai(Ex cashier ) Over the years, the celebration has earned widespread recognition across Odisha and neighbouring states. The continued cooperation of local intellectuals and the younger generation has helped the puja committee maintain its reputation as one of the leading Durga Puja celebrations in the region. Under the strong leadership of committee president Girish Chandra Das, along with Basudev Pradhan, two vice-presidents, four secretaries, a treasurer and executive members, the committee has grown into a large organisation with more than 1,500 members. Several members dedicate an entire month to voluntary service, contributing their time, devotion and hard work to ensure the successful organisation of the festival. Among them are Laxminarayan Das, Rajat Satapathy, Vivekananda Nayak, Ananta Das, Saroj Satapathy, Manoranjan Acharya, Tapas Khilar, Pradeep Khilar, Raj Narayan Barik, Manoj Jena and Sourav Behera (Bapun).Anil Dash(silu)Sanjib Giri, This year, the total budget for the celebration is expected to exceed Rs 60 lakh. Of this amount, approximately Rs 35 lakh has been allocated for the European Imperial Palace-themed pandal. Additional expenditure includes lighting and decoration, idol-making, puja rituals, cultural programmes, prasad distribution for devotees and members, and other arrangements. The Durga idol has been crafted by artisans from Cuttack, while the tent and pandal work has been completed by artisans from Bhubaneswar and a team of 70 craftsmen from Contai in West Bengal. To ensure the safety of visitors, the organisers have arranged 20 CCTV cameras and drone-camera surveillance, while also paying attention to compliance with government regulations. The European-inspired palace design has become a major attraction this year, transforming the pandal into a popular selfie destination for visitors. As in previous years, a ten-day fair is being organised alongside the puja, featuring a variety of colourful cultural programmes. According to the puja committee, the fair's closing ceremony will be held on October 27, while the immersion procession of Goddess Durga is scheduled for October 28.