As the country immerses itself in devotion for Sharadiya Navratri and the arrival of Goddess Durga, the city of Ranchi, Jharkhand, witnesses the construction of unique and themed Durga Puja pandals. Ranchi holds a distinct place in the grand Durga Puja celebrations held across the country. The Bharatiya Yuvak Sangh in Bakri Bazaar, Ranchi, is constructing a grand puja pandal modeled after the world-famous Angkor Wat temple of Cambodia.
Various grand puja pandals are being built in different parts of Ranchi. The Panch Mandir Durga Puja Samiti in Harmu has created a replica of the Prem Mandir of Vrindavan. However, the Durga Puja pandal built by the puja committee in Ratu Road, Ranchi, which is modeled after the Vatican City church in Rome, Italy, has become embroiled in controversy even before its inauguration.
Why the controversy surrounding the pandal?
A Durga Puja pandal has been constructed in Ranchi, modeled after the church in Vatican City, Italy. The National Spokesperson of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Vinod Bansal, raised objections to this on social media platform X. Along with the post, videos of the outside and inside of the pandal were shared with the caption, “See how the government is playing games with the faith, beliefs, and religious sentiments of Hindus. The Durga Puja pandal, under the leadership of JMM leader Vicky Yadav, has now become a hub for religious conversion. RR Sporting, Ratu Road Ranchi, has established the entire Vatican City, Rome, to install the idol of Maa Durga.”
VHP leader raises objections
The interior and exterior structure of the pandal, built on the lines of the church in Vatican City, a religious city for Christians in Rome, Italy, has been replicated. Pictures of Catholic religious leaders are displayed inside the pandal. Additionally, some people are depicted on the outer part of the pandal, holding the Christian symbol of the cross. Due to these reasons, the puja pandal has become controversial, and VHP National Spokesperson Vinod Bansal objected to it on social media with a post accompanied by a video of the Durga Puja pandal designed like a church.
Costing 70 Lakh Rupees
The RR Sporting Club in Ratu Road, Ranchi, is constructing a puja pandal modeled after the church in Vatican City, Rome, Italy, at a cost of approximately 70 lakh rupees, which has become a subject of controversy for the devotees even before its inauguration.
However, as soon as the controversy over the design of the puja pandal intensified, the RR Durga Puja Samiti removed the aspects of the puja pandal’s design to which Hindu organizations had raised objections, to ensure that the faith of the devotees visiting during Durga Puja is not hurt.