Jaipur: The sudden heavy downpour Tuesday evening disrupted cultural programmes at Durga Puja pandals and ruined the efforts and investments of artisans making Ravana effigies.Artisans from distant towns had come to work in Jaipur for the past two months on hundreds of Ravana effigies. With Dussehra just two days away, the unexpected rain submerged their workspaces, washing away their hard work and hopes for good earnings.Meanwhile, several Durga Puja pandals saw evening programmes curtailed or postponed due to waterlogging. At Probashi Bengali Cultural Society’s Durga Puja at Jai Club, performances by local dancers and musicians were cut short as the audience area was drenched. The Maha Ashtami morning prayers and Sandhi Puja had not been affected, with devotees thronging in large numbers, but the evening rain spoiled the festive mood.Samir Dandapat, secretary of Sarbojonin Puja Utsav Samiti in Murlipura, said the pandal was not affected and devotees were queuing up to get a glimpse of the goddess after the rain stopped, but the cultural programme scheduled for Tuesday was postponed.“We were not sure if people would be able to reach to see the performance after such heavy rain, due to which we postponed it by a day,” said Dandapat.At SDM Park Durga Puja celebrations, the evening aarti on Maha Ashtami wore a deserted look, an unusual sight for the auspicious day, as the ground was waterlogged after torrential rainfall.
Downpour plays festival spoilsport, wrecks Ravana effigies for Dusshera | Jaipur News
