A unique and thought-provoking Durga Puja pavilion in Chattogram's Patiya upazila has drawn large crowds of visitors on Friday afternoon by shedding light on the grim reality of road accidents and the profound suffering inflicted upon affected families. Situated at the Suchakrandi Jagannath Dham Milon Mandir within the Patiya municipal area, the installation is themed "Life on the Road" and aims to raise critical public awareness regarding safe driving and road safety.
Upon arriving at the temple premises, visitors are greeted by striking visual narratives that underscore the devastation caused by reckless driving. The display features lifelike sculptures depicting injured youths lying on roadsides with grieving mothers praying to Goddess Durga, alongside emergency scenes of patients being rushed to ambulances. Informational signboards bearing cautionary messages such as "Drive Slowly, Life is Precious," "Narrow Road Ahead," and "A Conscious Mind Ensures a Safe Future" are prominently positioned throughout the venue.
The exhibition vividly reconstructs notorious accident sites from across the region, including the Chattogram-Cox's Bazar Highway, Patiya Bypass, Chattogram city's Cheragi Pahar intersection, Chattogram University railway station area, and the city gate. Sculpted using wood, bamboo, iron, and corksheet finished with acrylic paint, the installation incorporates more than 20 distinct accident scenarios involving cars, compressed natural gas-powered auto-rickshaws, and pedestrians to illustrate how momentary negligence shatters families.
Visitors from far and wide have expressed admiration for the socially impactful theme. Anarjana Bhattacharya, a senior bank official from Chattogram city's Agrabad area, visited the pavilion on Friday with her family after viewing the concept on social media, noting that the educational exhibits deeply moved them. The temple's puja celebration committee informed that local artisan Nayan Dey conceptualized and designed the pavilion, dedicating nearly a half-month of labor alongside 15 assistants at a cost of approximately 6.5 million taka.
Artisan Nayan Dey explained that the initiative seeks to remind the public that minor carelessness on roads claims lives and halts entire family dreams. Pulk Dey, general secretary of the Jagannath Dham Mandir Puja Celebration Committee, noted that the temple is hosting its 73rd annual Durga Puja, traditionally marking one of the largest festival gatherings in southern Chattogram. Meanwhile, Shyamal Dey, an adviser to the Patiya Upazila and Municipality Puja Monitoring Committee, stated that celebrations are taking place across 210 pandals in the upazila and municipality, with a 30-member monitoring committee actively ensuring a peaceful and joyous observance.
