Durga Puja kicks off amidst HNLC bandh

***Idol of Goddess Durga in one of the puja pandals in the city***

SHILLONG, OCT 1: The first day of Durga Puja in Shillong got off amidst the 24-hours bandh of the proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) on Wednesday.

But the militant outfit had exempted the puja celebration from the purview of the bandh as it said the bandh was to protest against the killings of two civilians in East Jaintia hills and also the celebration of Gandhi Jayanti on October 2.

The 24 hours HNLC bandh began from 6 pm on Wednesday and will continue till 6 pm on Thursday. However shops in many parts of Shillong remained open till about 8 pm and some shops were seen opened till late night.

The first day of the Durga Puja celebration saw thin crowd thronging different pandals in the city during the night. However it is expected that the crowd will swell up on the second day of the puja on Thursday.

This year as many as 170 puja mandaps have been set up in the state. Of these there are a total of 68 puja pandals in Shillong, Central Puja Committee (CPC) Meghalaya, president Naba Bhattarcharjee informed.

Bhattarcharjee said in Khasi Hills districts there are a total 101 pandals, in Garo Hills with 53 and Jaintia hills having at least 16 puja pandals.

Security have been beefed up in all the puja pandals across the state in view of the bandh called by HNLC from Wednesday evening.

“Security is being deployed in all the puja pandals in the city as well as across the state to ensure a peaceful puja celebration,” East Khasi Hills District Superintendent of Police (SP) M Kharkhrang said.

Meghalaya is home to one of the oldest Durga temples in the country located at Nartiang in Jaintia hills.

The Jail Road Durga Puja Committee is celebrating its centenary this year. The committee was formed by lshwar Chandra Majumdar and organized the first Puja in 1914 on a plot of land donated to the Jail Road Society Hall by the then British government.

Several programmes have been planned for the celebrations.

The committee has also stressed on “zero littering” during the celebrations. – By Our Reporter