Durga puja pandal in West Bengal's Lake Town replicates Dubai's iconic Burj Khalifa

As the Durga Puja festival approached, Kolkata’s Sreebhumi Sporting Club has designed an iconic 145 feet pandal in the Lake-town based on the theme of Dubai's Burj Khalifa. Sujit Bose, Sreebhumi Sporting Club president told ANI, that each year, the group built the pandal in form of a replica of iconic buildings, this time it being Dubai’s popular tourist attraction and the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa. Last year, he said, “we had built it [pandal] on the theme of Paris Opera, and years prior to that, the pandal was designed in form of Kedarnath and Puri temples among several other themes, ANI reported. Bose further stated that the 145 feet tall Burj Khalifa resembling pandal is abound with special lighting arrangements that give the structure a glowing, majestic look at night. 

Around 250 workers constructed the awe-inspiring pandal over the period of two months. Bose, also a Fire and Emergency Services Minister in West Bengal government, told ANI that the club conducts charity and social work, that it ramps up during the Durga Puja each year. 

"We always do social works during this celebration. We have organized a blood donation camp this year for around 2,000 people," Bose said. Furthermore, he added that the club will enforce strict COVID-19 norms as recommended by the West Bengal government on Wednesday.

As per the guidance, all the Durga Puja pandals are supposed to be spacious to accommodate a large crowd in a way that the physical distancing can be maintained. The premises shall be airy in all directions with separate entry-exit points, the West Bengal state government stated in the guidelines. As the Durga Puja commences, the festival of Navratri will be celebrated later from October 7 till October 15. Ashtami meanwhile will be celebrated on October 13 this year, while Dashami is on October 15.

West Bengal CM asks to adhere COVID-19 norms

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday urged everyone to be cautious while pandal hopping keeping in mind the need of wearing face masks to contain the spread of the lethal COVID virus during the Durga Puja festivities. Chief Minister Banerjee urged people to follow the COVID guidelines while inaugurating two Durga Puja pandals in south Kolkata on Wednesday. "I request people visiting the pandals during the festival to wear masks even if they are fully vaccinated. Some people are testing positive for COVID-19, even after being administered both doses of the vaccine,” Banerjee said while inaugurating the Naktala Udayan Sangha puja pandal.