Agartala, September 24: Preparations for Durga Puja are gathering pace at Srimantapur in Unakoti district, where a nearly Rs 70 lakh mandap inspired by the historic Somnath Temple is being built as the main attraction of this year’s celebration.
The Srimantapur Sanghati Sarbojanin Durga Puja Committee has engaged artisans from West Bengal for the project, with construction continuing for more than a month.
Organisers said the structure has been planned according to the space available at the venue. While it will not reproduce the entire Somnath Temple complex, the mandap is being crafted to evoke its architectural features and spiritual character.
Social Education and Social Welfare Minister and Chandipur MLA Tinku Roy visited the site on Thursday morning and reviewed the ongoing construction. He interacted with the Puja organisers and craftsmen and took stock of the preparations.
Roy expressed confidence that Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha would inaugurate the mandap on Shashthi, as has been the practice in previous years.
The five-day celebration will combine religious observances with a range of community and cultural activities. Organisers have planned midday meals and prasad distribution, cultural programmes, decorative lighting and the publication of a Puja magazine.
The Srimantapur Puja has traditionally attracted sizeable crowds, and the committee expects this year’s Somnath-inspired design to bring more visitors to the venue.
Local residents said the initiative demonstrates the collective participation of the community and adds an artistic dimension to the traditional Durga Puja celebrations.
