Dances to the drum beats, ‘kolatam’ and offering pujas with ‘harati’ by women marked Durgamatha Shobha Yatra in several towns and villages of the district on Saturday. The idols of Goddess Durga were taken out in procession before they were immersed in irrigation tanks and ponds. The idols were installed by local youth clubs and cultural associations in connection with the Devi Navaratri festivities. Community lunches and cultural activities were held at the mandapams every day during the nine days. Several people actively participated in the auction of saris offered to the Goddesses at different places. Authorities made all necessary arrangements for the idol immersions. The police, meanwhile, heaved a sigh of relief for the peaceful conduct of shobha yatras and the idol immersions as certain places in the district witnessed communal tensions during this occasion earlier.
