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Colourful processions mark Durga idols’ immersion in millennium city

CUTTACK: It takes a great amount of courage to bid adieu to someone, who was very close to everyone and cynosure of all eyes during the past few days occupying the centrestage of every locality at a beautiful erected mandap. The scene at Devi Gada on the banks of River Kathjodi here on Friday was somewhat sombre and serene as hundreds of composed devotees bade farewell to Goddess Durga . “Immersing the clay idols of the deities after removing all the jewellery and decorative from it is the most painful experience of the Dusshera celebrations,” says Samarjit Pattanayak, an active member of a city puja committee. But it is an important ritual we have to observe hoping that the Ma Durga would return with more bounties next year, he added.

By Friday evening, at least 50 idols had been immersed in water bodies of the city while the important tableaus are still moving around the city with colourful processions, said city police sources. It is expected that about 100 deities would be immersed by Friday night while remaining would complete the formality by Saturday morning. Till now, no untoward incident occurred at any place and everything was passing off peacefully, the source added.

Frenzied devotees dancing to the beats of accompanying music troupes are leading the splendid procession of the deities with attractive backdrops, huge flags of different hues. As per the practice, the deities in procession march towards the Chandini Chowk Mandap, traditionally called the Raja Ghar for a congregation where each puja committee is felicitated. After that the procession reaches the Devi Gada.

Earlier on Thursday, the five-day puja celebrations completed with Ravana Podi on Bijoya Dasami as thousands witnessed the huge effigies of Ravana set afire as a symbolic exhibition of triumph of good over evil. But the fanfare and lavish expenditure of this ritual was missing this year since the organizers had decided to make it a low key affair expressing solidarity with the sufferings of the flood-hit people of the state.

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