Patna is preparing for Shardiya Navratri from October 11 to 21, with temples, markets and around 1,500 Durga Puja pandals entering the final phase of arrangements as fire services and the municipal corporation focus on safety, sanitation and crowd management.
The festival will begin on October 11 with Kalash Sthapna and prayers to Maa Shailputri, the first form of Goddess Durga. Vijayadashami will be observed on October 21. Temples across the city are being cleaned and decorated, while committees are arranging puja materials, prayer areas and facilities for devotees expected to visit from early morning.
At Mahavir Mandir, the prayer service on the first day will begin at 9pm on Sunday, according to Sayan Kunal, secretary of the temple. “All the arrangements have been made accordingly,” he said.
Several prominent temples are preparing for their traditional observances. At Naulakha Durga Mandir near New Secretariat, 69-year-old Nageshwar Baba is scheduled to begin a nine-day ritual involving 21 bronze pitchers filled with water balanced on his chest. He will also observe a nirjala vrat, or a fast without water, according to Vijay Kumar Yadav, organiser of the temple’s Navratri celebrations.
Akhand Vindhyavasini Mandir in a narrow lane near Golghar is also preparing for an expected increase in devotees. The temple is known for an akhand jyot, with lamps fuelled by ghee and mustard oil that have reportedly been burning continuously for more than a century. The tradition is traced to 1914, when Vishwanath Tiwari brought a sacred flame from Kamakhya temple in Assam.
Markets are seeing increased demand for red chunris, coconuts, kalash, earthen pots, incense sticks, camphor, roli, flowers and other puja materials. Fruits and food items suitable for fasting are also being purchased, while households and temple committees are buying lights and decorative material. Mukesh Sah, a shopkeeper at Machhuatoli, said customers were purchasing flowers, garlands, lights and decorations along with ritual items.
The largest operational challenge is expected at the pandals. The fire services department estimates that Patna will have around 1,500 installations this year, including nearly 100 large pandals. Organisers have been asked to address safety shortcomings and follow fire-safety guidelines before the celebrations begin.
Checks are focusing on crowd movement, electrical connections and clear emergency exits at major venues. These arrangements are intended to reduce risks at temporary structures where large numbers of visitors may gather over the festival period.
Patna Municipal Corporation is preparing sanitation measures and designated immersion facilities for the period after the celebrations. The arrangements are intended to manage waste and support orderly idol immersion. Officials and organisers are continuing preparations before the first-day rituals begin on October 11.
