Ganesh Puja celebrated in Odisha with religious fervour

BHUBANESWAR: Ganesh Puja was celebrated with religious fervor across Odisha. Educational institutions were decked up for the celebration.
More than 100 dazzling puja pandals across the capital city created a festive mood. The puja committees have decorated their pandals with colourful lights and designed materials. People visited the mandaps and attended the puja.
Some pandals were different from others for their unique idols and decoration material.A puja pandal near Rupali Square in Saheed Nagar installed an 18 ft idol of Lord Ganesh which has 21 heads and 42 hands. People thronged the puja pandal to have a glimpse of the deity.

“It is very difficult to control the crowd here. Hundreds of people are coming for darshan of the idol. Several of them perform puja here. We are happy that we have installed a very unique idol of the Lord,” said Raja Ray, secretary of the puja committee.
The idol installed at Puja mandap near Jaydev Bhawan is totally different from others. The idol is designed as a photographer with a monopod and camera in right hand. As the puja is organised by photo journalists of the city, they installed the idol with this theme that suits them best.

“The idol wearing a hat on its head is unique and very interesting. I paid my obeisance to the Lord here,” said Bikram Pradhan, a devotee.
Another puja pandal at Saheed Nagar has an idol of 42 ft. People throng to this place to have darshan of the gigantic idol. The unique idols of Siripur, Unit-1, Old Town, Jatni and other areas of the city attracted the people on the day.
Besides these pandals, puja was celebrated in the educational institutions especially schools in the city. In some schools, students along with their teachers recited hymns and performed pujas en masse.
Due to the ongoing strike of block grant teachers at the Lower PMG here demanding abolition of block grant system, Ganesh puja was observed by students in 4000 high schools and 1500 colleges across the state without their teachers.
The agitating teachers here observed Ganesh Puja on Mahatma Gandhi Road at the dharana place here. “We will continue our dharna till demands are met. We every year celebrate the puja with students, but this year we conducted the puja on the road," said Pabitra Mahala, president of 488 category of teachers.