Footfall swelled. The 2024 Durga Puja in Dibrugarh turns into a living tableau of devastation as the Masterpara Durga Puja Committee’s pandal draws more than 50,000 people, each step echoing the ruined villages of Sivasagar and Charaideo.
The monsoon swelled the Karatoya River, leaving 12 dead and 300 families homeless. The pandal’s panels depict rescue teams racing through flooded streets, while a mother named Rina, her three children tucked beneath a tarp, watches the display—her eyes wet with hope and dread.
Meanwhile, the Graham Bazar Durga Puja Committee crafts a tea‑garden paradise out of bamboo and real tea bushes. “We use only eco‑friendly materials; the pandal attracts a huge crowd,” says committee member Jitendra Srivastav. The Manohari Tea Estate pumps 5,000 cups of Assam tea daily into the celebration, a nod to the 200‑year‑old heritage that sustains the region’s identity.
The Assam Disaster Management Authority praised the display, noting it raises awareness of ongoing relief needs. The committee’s appeal to increase flood relief funding has prompted the state to schedule a review of aid budgets for the upcoming monsoon.
Sanjay, a 45‑year‑old volunteer who has spent the last ten days in the flooded villages, says the pandal’s message gives families still waiting for aid a reason to keep going. The committee will present its appeal at the September 12 flood recovery conference, hoping to secure the resources needed for those still displaced.