Agartala: How about experiencing the famous Sheesh Mahal of Rajasthan in Northeast India itself? If you happen to be in Agartala, the capital of Tripura, around this point of time, you can actually do that. Just visit Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Club’s puja pandal to see the replica of the ‘glass palace’.
Speaking with EastMojo, Shibu Saha, secretary of the puja committee, said, “We have come up with the Sheesh Mahal theme this year since many people wish to visit the palace in Rajasthan.”
“The artisans have all been brought in from West Bengal, who specialise in making such thematic pandals,” Saha said, adding: “The club has been organising puja for the past 59 years. The budget for this year is about Rs 26 lakh.”
Another puja pandal which has attracted a lot of attention is the Netaji Play Forum Centre. Here, the pandal has been made with the theme of Padmaavat — the Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie that was released last year.
Gautam Paul, secretary of the Netaji Play Forum Centre, said, “We think this theme would be able to pull the crowds during puja. The theme of the puja is the palace of Padmaavat. This year, we are organising the puja with a budget of more than Rs 40 lakh. The club’s puja celebration has entered its 62nd year this time.”
Meanwhile, Agartala’s Shiv Nagar Modern Club has set up a replica of Badrinath Temple and the Dal lake of Kashmir at its puja pandal this year.
Dipak Saha, a member of the club, said, “We have not made any fixed budget this year since most of the volunteers are donating something or the other. But the theme is definitely going to attract a lot of people this year.”