CUTTACK: Festive fervour gripped Cuttack city as celebrations for Basanti Durga Puja commenced with pomp and gaiety on Thursday.
Generally observed during the spring season, as many as 18 mandaps in the city are celebrating Basanti Durga Puja this year. On the day, puja mandaps conducted the ‘Bilwo Barani’ or ‘Bilwadhibasa’ ritual in which a wood apple (bael) tree is worshipped with observation of Sasthi Puja.
While idol of Bharat Mata is being worshipped at the puja pandal in ring road of CDA locality, that of Goddess Vaishno Devi has been consecrated by the Marwadi Club in Manik Ghose Bazar. Similarly, Machhua Bazar puja mandap is worshipping the idol of Sarpa Durga. The other 15 puja mandaps are worshipping idols of Goddess Durga.
“The true season for celebration of Durga Puja is spring which was initiated by King Suratha before Lord Ram worshipped Goddess Durga untimely during autumn,” said Sudhakar Dash, a priest performing the puja at the Sutahat mandap.
Secretary of Mahanagar puja committee Bhikari Das said the festival would continue till April 7 following which idol immersion procession will be carried out. While idols of Bharat Mata, Vaishno Devi and Sarpa Durga will be immersed on April 7, the immersion ceremony of the remaining puja mandaps will be held on April 8.