Hindustan Times (Lucknow)

Akshardham Temple, Eiffel Tower in Lucknow!

- HT Correspond­ent lkoreporte­rsdesk@hindustant­imes.com

This Durga Puja, visitors can catch a glimpse of Akshardham Temple, India Gate, Howrah Bridge, Eiffel Tower and a lot more at pandals in Lucknow.

Durga puja committees in the city are all for theme-based lighting and pandals to accord a grand welcome to the Goddess.

Sahara Estate, Jankipuram has set up a huge pandal replicatin­g the famous Akshardham temple (65 ft high, 60 ft wide and 45 ft long).

The preparatio­n for the pandal began last month and finishing touches are now being given to the structure.

Forty artisans from Midnapur district of West Bengal are working overtime to accomplish the task.

“Nearly three quintal nails and thousands of bamboos were used in erecting the pandal. We believe that Lucknow is yet to see a beautiful pandal like this. We have used cloth and thermacol to prepare it,” said Saurav Bandhopadh­yay, member of the committee.

In addition, artisans have also made replicas of India Gate and Howrah Bridge.

The Cantonment Puja Sewa Samiti has created the ‘Eiffel Tower’ of Paris (55 ft high) and the pandal would be decked with Tricolour to infuse patriotic fervour.

Meanwhile, the over 150year-old Kali Bari Temple has arranged illuminati­on from Chandan Nagar in West Bengal. They have decorated the entire stretch between Shubham Cinema and the church near Qaiserbagh.

“The grand welcome gate near the cinema hall is a replica of a tower in Moscow,” said Gautam Bhattachar­ya, president of Kali Bari Temple Trust. Last year, they saluted the Indian Army for carrying out successful surgical strike in PoK.

Nearly three quintal nails and thousands of bamboos were used in erecting the pandal. We believe that Lucknow is yet to see a beautiful pandal like this. We have used cloth and thermocol to prepare it

SAURAV BANDHOPADH­YAY, member, Durga Puja committee

 ?? DEEPAK GUPTA/HT ?? (Clockwise from above) Replica of Akshardham Temple at Sahara Estate Puja pandal; illuninati­on near Shubham cinema by Kali Bari Temple and Eiffel Tower replica set up by Cantonment Puja Sewa Committee.
DEEPAK GUPTA/HT (Clockwise from above) Replica of Akshardham Temple at Sahara Estate Puja pandal; illuninati­on near Shubham cinema by Kali Bari Temple and Eiffel Tower replica set up by Cantonment Puja Sewa Committee.
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