Bhubaneswar: Two more Puja committees in Odisha’s Cuttack city have made entry into the coveted list of pandals having silver tableaux for celebration Dussehra festival.  

Maa Mangala Puja Committee of Matha Sahi and Jobra Durga Puja Committee have designed silver tableaux for this year’s Dussehra festival.

With this, total number of Puja panels having silver tableaux for Dussehra celebration in Cuttack has reached 36.

Skilled artisans from Alisha Bazaar have crafted the silver tableau of Jobra Durga Puja panel. They took almost six months to make the tableau that weighs around 2.5 quintal.

The Jobra Durga Puja Committee, which has completed 75 years, reportedly spent around Rs 3.5 crore on the silver tableau.

The locals of Jobra had began worshipping Siva-Parvati idol as part of Dussehra celebration in the year 1921. They first introduced Durga idol in 1951.

The Maa Mangala Puja Committee of Gopaljew Lane at Mathasahi has designed the silver tableau featuring intricate filigree work.  

According to the locals, Choudhury Bazar Puja committee had introduced silver tableau for Dussehra celebration in the year 1956. The panel had designed gold crown and other ornaments for Goddess Durga in 2002. At least 10 panels have so far arranged gold crowns and ornaments for the idols. 

It is believed that Shri Chaitanya had started the tradition of Durga Puja or Dussehra in Cuttack during the 15th century. Balu Bazar Durga Mandap is the oldest Puja mandap in the city. The locals claimed that the family of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had introduced community Durga Puja at Odia Bazar.

The practice of animal sacrifice during Durga Puja in the Silver City was discontinued in 1982, sources said.