Hooghly, 12 November (H.S.): Following the change of government in West Bengal, the historic Jagadhatri Puja of Chandannagar has been accorded the status of a State Festival. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has also approved financial assistance of Rs 5 crore from the state government for the celebration. With preparations underway to make this year's festival grander and more organised, the Central Puja Committee has issued several important guidelines to ensure security and discipline.

Taking lessons from the Chorbagan incident, the committee has decided to completely prohibit VIP entry at all puja pandals in Chandannagar. There will be no separate VIP gates or VIP passes. Additionally, loud DJ music and all forms of fireworks have been banned during the grand procession and idol immersion.

Chandannagar's Jagadhatri Puja is internationally renowned for its rich heritage, spectacular illumination and magnificent processions. This year, the organisers aim to showcase the festival in a more organised manner, befitting its newly acquired status as a State Festival.

To ensure the smooth management of the procession, five new sectors have been added this year, taking the total number of sectors to 25. Each sector will be headed by an in-charge. A total of 200 personnel, comprising 25 sector in-charges and 175 volunteers, will be deployed along the procession routes.

For idol immersion, eight designated ghats have been identified under Chandannagar Police Station and six under Bhadreswar Police Station. All puja committees will have to conduct immersion at these designated locations.

According to the guidelines issued by the Central Puja Committee, installing CCTV cameras inside every puja pandal, facing the idol, has been made mandatory. Puja committees must also comply with prescribed sound regulations to control noise pollution. DJ music will remain completely prohibited.

Furthermore, every puja committee must keep two fire extinguishers on the vehicle carrying the idol during the procession and immersion. Bursting crackers or using any form of fireworks during the inauguration, puja celebrations or immersion has also been strictly prohibited.

At a press conference held on Thursday, members of the Central Puja Committee announced the detailed arrangements and guidelines for this year's procession. Committee General Secretary Shubhajit Saha stated that the grand procession and immersion ceremony would take place on November 19.

A total of 68 puja committees are expected to participate in the procession, including 56 under Chandannagar Police Station and 12 under Bhadreswar Police Station.

The procession will feature 245 trucks in total, of which 201 will be from the Chandannagar Police Station area and 44 from the Bhadreswar Police Station area.

Deepanjan Guha, chief adviser to the Central Puja Committee and MLA from Chandannagar, expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari for granting the historic Jagadhatri Puja the prestigious status of a State Festival.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari is scheduled to inaugurate the worship of Adi Maa, Chandannagar's oldest Jagadhatri Puja, on Friday, November 13. He is also expected to formally inaugurate the Jagadhatri Puja celebrations on the same day.

According to sources, preparations are also underway for a special programme on the lines of Kolkata's Eden Gardens, adding another attraction to this year's celebrations.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey