Pandal Hopping for one and All

Aditi Panda

A little attention can add to the delight of the devotees and at the same time increase happiness among the pandal hoppers. Special care will boost the trip of women, elderly and persons with special needs in the puja pandals to offer prayers to the deity.

Numerous puja pandals surface across the state with delicate designs and amazing ideas during durga puja, with less evidence for the comfort of visitors, specially senior citizens, children and persons with different needs until recent times.  A little thought to the design and planning with some sensitivity and societal goal to integrate every person in the society and help participate will surely enhance the joy of the festival.

The pandals are crammed with pandal hoppers and it becomes really tricky to handle the crowd. The prospect of accidents and stampede increases if adequate preventative measures are not taken by the puja committees. Simple things like a flat standing place and covering of loose wires used for decoration can be taken care of to avoid accidents.

“A separate entrance for senior citizens should be a mandate in every pandal as they visit the pandals with utmost religious feelings and the pushing and hurrying up in the regular queue discourages them to visit the pandals. We understand the place is limited and the crowd is huge but even then some special facilities will make a great difference”, shares Samapti Routray, a habitual pandal hopper.

Everybody has a religious side and love to visit the beautifully decorated pandals to see the interplay of lights and divinity. Various puja committees loosen their purse strings for an edifice to be an exclusive pull to visitors and be in awe of its opulence.

“This year we have designated special volunteers to escort old people, women, children and every person who need assistance, near the deity so that they can offer prayers without any disturbance. We have increased the height of our goddess so that people can catch a glimpse from a distance. Other facilities like drinking water, first aid box, organized parking will be seen in almost all the pandals”,said Biranchi Hota , member of a city based puja committee.

Now-a-days, a feel good ambience is created to see people on wheelchairs visiting pandals and more so as they are taken inside by some side entrance or escorted by volunteers to see the deity. Even pregnant women and mothers with small babies get special attention.

“I was thrilled to enter the pandal and offer my prayers to the deity. It gave me a lot of serenity and strength and I am really looking forward to visit the pandals if they are accessible. People with special needs like us don’t have to stand in long queues now to enter the pandal and have direct access to the puja premises. This will inspire the differently abled to make the pandal rounds and participate in the festive fervor” said Anjlee Agarwal, A wheelchair user who is a Director at Samarthyam, a National Centre for Accessible Environments.

This year, let us pledge to help anyone in need if we see them unable to have a clear darshan of the deity at a pendal. Happy Pujo!

(Aditi is a freelance writer and pursues interest in the area of social issues)