Jamshedpur, Sept. 28: For at least one week revenue and land reform minister Dulal Bhuiyan wants to take his mind off politics and pray for the well being of the state and its people.

Bhuiyan believes that politics and worship is a bad combination so, taking a break from the political agendas he decided to immerse himself in the festive fervour.

“I will devote myself to goddess Durga and not think of politics for a week. Durga Puja is celebrated once in a year and I want to enjoy it to the fullest. I will pray to Durga for the welfare of my state and my country,” he said.

Associated with the Bhuiyandih Area Durga Puja Committee from his childhood, Bhuiyan says he is a part of the organising team and has no time to breathe as the Puja is just a week away.

It is Bhuiyan who takes the call about the design of the pandal, the people who will be hired for the jobs, the cultural programme that would be organised.

Bhuiyandih Area Durga Puja Committee started organising the Puja from 1949 and over the years it has seen a huge increase in the footfall. Now it has become one of the well-known Pujas in the steel city.

“I have been part of the Puja since childhood. I was given the responsibility of organising the Puja when I was 20. Worship of the goddess Durga and Kali is our ancestral tradition and I believe in the power of the goddess,” said Dulal Bhuiyan.

This time the Bhuiyandih Area Durga Puja Committee pandal would be a replica of Sacré-Coeur Basilica in Paris. The church was associated with the beheading of St Denis. It is said St Denis carried his own severed head to this place after his martyrdom.

The designs will be made of insulated wiring pipes. The pandal that stands at 85ft and is 75ft wide will be exquisitely designed with human motifs just as is made on Sacré-Coeur Basilica. The pandal itself cost Rs 10 lakh and for the lighting additional Rs 2 lakh was required.

About 55 labourers from Kanthi of Midnapore district have come here and have been working for the past one and a half months. The pandal has now become a big draw for the people during the festival and the minister attributes it to the blessing of the goddess.

“We started off like any other Puja committee but due to the blessing of the goddess it has become a big draw. We have been successful in carrying forward our tradition. People come in every year in the hope of seeing something unique and it makes us feel nice,” said Bhuiyan.

“The pandal is a replica of a church and the goddess will be worshipped inside. Also we have invited Speaker of Jharkhand Assembly Alamgir Alam to inaugurate the pandal on October 3. We want to send a message to people through the whole arrangement. People should understand it at this time of need,” Bhuiyan said.

Cultural programmes are lined up for the five days festivity Bhojpuri singer Kalpana Patwari will perform on the inaugural day while Seven Star orchestra and Baul singer from Bengal would perform on the other days.