Pocket friendly ways to decorate for Durga Puja
The sparkling festive season across India – first the nine-days of Durga Puja followed by Diwali – brings prosperity, joy and an additional “financial burden”. People pay hefty prices for festive extravaganza, like to buy clothes, gifts, sweets, for decorating their houses or for making puja mandaps.
Home decoration plays a major part in any festive celebration as they go hand-in-hand. With increasing prices, planning a big-fat puja celebration may cost you a bomb. If you are planning a low-budget Durga Puja, here are a few tips to decorate your house which is easy to implement and can save you from burning a hole in your pocket.
Use of thermocol
There are many props available in the market to decorate the puja pandal (place of worship). The cheapest would be to use thermocol to create the stage or the pandal. They come in different shapes and sizes, and is easy to use. It also saves your time and money.
Use old newspapers
Instead of giving the puja room a fresh paint, you can think of alternatives like using colourful papers. You can paste the papers to give a new look. Also, use old newspapers to create paper lanterns to decorate the room.
Rangoli
Traditionally, rangoli is used during festivals, across cultures. Rangolis are nothing but beautiful designs made on the floor using rise floor, vermillion, turmeric power and different shades of powder which are readily available in the market at a low cost. You can also create place to keep diyas in the rangoli.
Flower petals, diyas and candles
The combination of diyas/candles and flower petals adds that aesthetic factor in any decoration – whether you are decorating your drawing room or your puja room during the festive season. You can take a water-filled earthen or glass pot-shaped vessel, spread flower petals and use floating candles or diyas in it. The fragrance of fresh flowers and the floating diyas will add charm to your puja decoration.
Flower garlands & mango leaves
Decorating the puja room with mango leaves can also be done, provided they are available in your locality. Otherwise, you can think of using flower garlands in the puja room. Instead of buying flower garlands from the market, you can buy flowers in bulk and make the garlands at home. It will save you a few bucks.
Go minimalistic
However, the most important factor in decorating the room is to keep it clean and tidy. Try not to mess it up with too many things. Too many decorative items at the puja place would also look garish. Try to keep it simple, decorating with one or two things that will make the place neat. If you are planning to use thermocol, then you can avoid using colour papers. Simultaneously, you can opt for either mango leaves or flower garlands.
Home-made sweets
Considering the exorbitant prices for sweets during the festive season, you can think of making home-made sweets. You can buy the ingredients from the market and make sweets at home; it will save you money.
