Bhubaneswar: Legacy apart, this year Cuttack’s Alisha Bazaar Durga Puja stands out for its community participation and creativity to spread a green message.At the Alisha Bazaar puja pandal in Cuttack, local youths have transformed waste materials like discarded gunny bags, old oil tins, straw and dry branches to make a jungle-themed installation to spread the message of environmental protection.Named ‘Jungle View’, the attraction near Hanuman temple offers visitors more than a festive spectacle. Created for Durga Puja by the Alisha Bazaar Puja Committee, it highlights the importance of conserving forests, protecting wildlife and reusing materials that would otherwise be discarded.The installation features a landscape of hills and creepers, with figures of wild animals and birds bringing the jungle setting alive. “We have used torn gunny bags, twine, dry grass, leaves, branches and discarded oil tins to create the entrance and surrounding display. We wanted to show how waste can be transformed into something attractive with a little ingenuity,” said Sukesh Behera, president of the puja committee.It has been conceived and executed by local youths from different neighbourhoods of Alisha bazaar, without the help of professional craftsmen or artists. “We wanted to show how community participation and creativity can turn an environmental message into a public attraction during Durga Puja. We hope to inspire people to care for nature and protect our forests and wildlife,” Behera said.Beyond its green theme, ‘Jungle View’ also celebrates the locality’s distinctive Durga Puja traditions. The display recalls Alisha Bazaar’s famous fish offering to Goddess Durga and the legacy of its silver tableau, or Chandi Medha, which was showcased at the International Trade Fair at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi around two decades ago.
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