The atmosphere is filled with devotion across the country as Sharad Navratri and the arrival of Goddess Durga are celebrated. In Ranchi, Jharkhand, unique and distinctively themed Durga Puja pandals are being constructed. This has established Ranchi’s reputation for hosting some of the most impressive Durga Puja events in the country. The Bharatiya Yuvak Sangh, located in Ranchi’s Bakri Bazar, has built a grand Durga Puja pandal inspired by the world-renowned Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia.
Impressive puja pandals are being set up in various parts of Ranchi. The Panch Mandir Durga Puja Samiti in Harmu has replicated the Prem Mandir of Vrindavan. However, the Durga Puja committee at Ratu Road in Ranchi has created a pandal based on the design of the Vatican City church in Rome, Italy, which has become controversial before its official opening.
Why the controversy surrounding the pandal?
The Durga Puja pandal in Ranchi has been designed to resemble the church located in Vatican City, Italy. This has led to objections from the National Spokesperson of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Vinod Bansal, who posted his concerns on social media platform X. The post included videos of the pandal’s interior and exterior, alongside a commentary on how the government is allegedly playing with the religious beliefs, faith, and sentiments of Hindus. Bansal alleged that the Durga Puja pandal, under the leadership of JMM leader Vicky Yadav, has become a center for religious conversion, with the RR Sporting Club of Ratu Road, Ranchi, essentially recreating Vatican City for the installation of the Durga idol.
VHP leader objects
The pandal’s interior and exterior are designed to closely resemble the church in Vatican City, a religious city for Christians in Rome, Italy. Inside the pandal, there are pictures of Catholic religious figures. Furthermore, the exterior of the pandal portrays individuals holding the cross, a symbol of the Christian faith. These elements have sparked controversy, leading Vinod Bansal, the VHP’s national spokesperson, to object. He posted a video of the Durga Puja pandal, which is designed to look like a church, on social media.
The pandal was built at a cost of 70 lakh rupees
The RR Sporting Club in Ratu Road, Ranchi, has constructed a Durga Puja pandal resembling the church in Vatican City, Rome, Italy, at a cost of approximately 70 lakh rupees. The pandal, however, has become a subject of dispute even before its inauguration for the devotees.
Following the growing controversy, the RR Durga Puja Samiti removed parts of the pandal’s design that Hindu organizations had found objectionable, in order to avoid hurting the sentiments of the devotees visiting during Durga Puja.