KENDRAPARA: Unlike elsewhere in the State, devotees did not flood the streets of Rajnagar village in the district to take part in the immersion procession of Goddess Durga.Following an age-old tradition, they took the Devi out for a boat ride before the immersion marking the onset of her journey back to the heavenly abode. Around 12 idols of Goddess Durga were immersed in river Hansua on Sunday after the boats carrying them and the devotees moved up and down the water body. As the boats reached the river banks, villagers offered coconuts and garlands to the Goddess.
"This region is traversed by several rivers and has creeks. Earlier, due to lack of bridges, Puja committees used to ferry the deities from one village to another using boats. Now, the area is well-connected with pucca roads and bridges. But, we follow the tradition to preserve our local culture and customs,” said Jagannath Das, a resident of Rajnagar.
The custom of taking the deities on a boat ride was apparently started to pray for the lives of locals, who ventured into the dense mangrove forests and creeks to catch crabs and fish for earning livelihood. "Each year, several villagers used to die after being attacked by crocodiles or bitten by snakes. So, they started worshipping the deity on the boat to save themselves from the reptiles," said Ranjan Swain, another local.
Hundreds of locals also turned up at the bridge over the river to witness this unique immersion procession. In the past, several devotees used to swim across the river to reach the boats for worshipping the deities. But, this ritual has been abandoned for the past 20 years as the river is replete with salt water crocodiles.
"The river is connected to the water bodies of Bhitarkanika National Park. Crocodiles often stray from the park into river Hansua. So, we don't swim in the river now," said Jagabandhu Nayak, the former chairman of Rajnagar block.
This tradition brings business for the boatmen who earn some extra bucks during the festival. "I earned `1000 on Sunday as many devotees used my boat for worshipping Ma Durga in the middle of the river," said Basudev Behera, a boatman.