Bhubaneswar: One city invited visitors to travel the world without leaving its neighbourhoods, while the other showcased a glittering legacy of heritage and craftsmanship. During Durga Puja this year, Bhubaneswar’s imaginative, theme-based pandals and Cuttack’s silver filigree tableaux offered contrasting festive experiences, drawing people from both cities to explore each other’s celebrations.In Bhubaneswar, pandal-hopping became a journey through architectural wonders and cultural themes. From the Char Dham-inspired gate at Damana to the Dubai-themed installation at Bomikhal, the city offered plenty to explore.“Bhubaneswar is known for its elaborate gates and themes during Durga Puja, and this year was no different. Creativity made the pandals destinations in themselves, be it the Odia Asmita gate at Saheed Nagar or Hawa Mahal at Palasuni. The Old Station Bazaar theme, ‘Jiban Eka Nataka’, was particularly impressive,” said Tisha Swain, a Cuttack resident.At Jharpada, however, a Bollywood star stole the show. Actor Govinda offered prayers to goddess Durga before taking the stage on Tuesday, dancing to popular numbers alongside Ollywood actor Sivani Sangita. His appearance added a dash of celebrity glamour to the festivities.Cuttack offered a different spectacle. Its chandi medhas, the elaborate silver filigree backdrops behind goddess Durga, remained a major draw. This year, 37 puja committees displayed silver tableaux, with Sahebzada Bazaar joining the group with a medha made using around two quintals of silver.“Durga Puja is an annual event for my family. We hire an autorickshaw on Nabami or Dashami to visit all the chandi medhas. The elaborate lighting, illuminated streets, which were more in number this year, and themed gates added to the experience. The light tunnel at Bidanasi, College Square, Shiekh Bazaar were a special attraction,” said Bidyut Mohapatra, a Bhubaneswar resident.From a Taiwan-inspired Buddhist temple at College Square to a Rajasthan-inspired palace at Malgodown, Cuttack blended tradition with inventive decorations. Food was another attraction, with visitors stopping for dahibara-aloodum, biryani, lanka and cabbage pakodas and Mathura cakes between pandal visits.The crowds, however, brought traffic to a crawl. In both cities, roads near popular pandals remained congested late into the night, leaving even those who ventured out late to escape the evening rush stuck in traffic. “We stepped out after the usual evening rush, hoping that a later start would mean shorter queues and clearer roads at the other pandals. Instead, we found ourselves caught in another wave of pandal-hoppers, with vehicles moving at a snail’s pace through crowded narrow stretches,” said Debashish Ray, a member of Choudhury Bazaar Puja Committee.Police anticipated late-night crowds in Bhubaneswar, while Cuttack imposed restrictions and diversions around busy puja locations.The festivities continued with the immersion processions on Thursday. Saheed Nagar in Bhubaneswar and Devigada in Cuttack drew crowds to watch idols being taken for immersion, accompanied by traditional music and folk dances. “We stand on Janpath throughout the evening to watch the processions from Saheed Nagar. It is no less than a carnival, where you get to witness all traditional dance and music forms,” said local resident Sunil Patnaik.
