Silver Filigree Jewellery Jazz up Odisha’s Puja Pandals

Durga idols and pandals in Cuttack are decked up with silver filigree jewellery during Dusshera.

A Durga idol in Shaikh Bazar, Cuttack decorated with a gold crown and silver ornaments. (Photo: Bhakta B Rath)

This is worth seeing: After Kolkata, the millennium city of Cuttack is the place to be during Durga Puja. The cultural capital of Odisha is the place where Dusshera is celebrated with much pageantry outside West Bengal.

The sight of giant gates welcoming visitors to Durga Puja pandals decorated with the famous silver filigree ornaments and goddess Durga adorned with gold jewellery can give tough competition to the celebration in Kolkata.

The Durga Puja in Cuttack dates back to the early fifteen century when Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the pioneer of the Vaishnav school of Bhakti yoga, visited the city. According to historians, Sri Chaitanya began the Durga Puja tradition in Cuttack, then capital of Odisha.

A Durga idol decked up with silver filigree jewellery in Chandni Chowk area of Cuttack.(Photo: Bhakta B Rath)

The history of Cuttack’s silver filigree work dates back to the Mughal era. Since then, Durga Puja has become the occasion to adorn puja pandals with fine silver jewellery. The first silver filigree puja pandal was said to have been installed in 1556 in the Chowdhury Bazar area of Cuttack.

Since then, many Puja committees have been installing puja pandals fully decorated with silver jewellery. The silver and gold ornaments used in these pandals can range between a few kilograms to a few quintals.

A Durga idol adorned with a 5kg gold crown in Ranihat, Cuttack. (Photo: Bhakta B Rath)

The Khan Nagar Puja Committee decorated this Durga idol with 3.5 quintal of silver jewellery. (Photo: Bhakta B Rath)

This Durga idol is adorned with a silver crown that weighs nearly 4kg in the Mohammadia Bazar puja pandal in Cuttack. (Photo: Bhakta B Rath)

The Durga Idol at Dargha Bazar puja pandal in Cuttack. (Photo: Bhakta B Rath)

A 50kg silver crown is the highlight of the Durga idol installed by the Khannagar Puja committee. (Photo: Bhakta B Rath)

Puja committees in Odisha have also been worshipping other Hindu gods apart from goddess Durga during Dusshera.

A Krishna idol depicting the Kaliya Dalan episode has been installed in Pithapur, Cuttack. (Photo: Bhakta B Rath)