CUTTACK: The immersion ceremony of idols of Goddess Durga will be a low key affair in Millennium city this year in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. There would be no ‘Sahi Parikrama’ and procession on the traditional route in the city.
The puja committees used to take their medhas round their respective sahis first after completion of Dussehra rituals and then in procession on the traditional immersion route from Ranihat to Devi Gada via Buxi Bazaar and Choudhry Bazaar.
The traditional route leading to Devi Gada, the immersion ghat of Kathajodi river, witnesses thousands of devotees along the roadside to bid farewell to Maa Durga.
However, with administration banning the ‘Sahi Parikrama’ and procession, the puja committees will have to leave the crowd pulling activities and go for plain immersion of the idols.
Instead of using vehicle chassis, the puja committees have been instructed to take the small idols in trolley or trolley auto-rickshaw to their nearest immersion point and complete the ritual with participation of maximum seven persons from 10 am to 6 pm on October 27.
The administration has also chalked out a two-hourly time table from 10 am to 12 noon, 12 noon to 2 pm, 2 pm to 4 pm and 4 pm to 6 pm for immersion of idols in the city. The puja committees can go for any of the above two-hour time period.
The vehicles carrying idols from the puja mandaps will have to move steadily without slowing or stopping at any point on the way to immersion point.
Earlier, there was a single immersion point at Devi Gada where the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) used to set up 3/4 artificial ponds on the river bed.
However, to avoid gathering, as many as 15 artificial ponds are being set up by the civic body in consultation with the Commissionerate Police on the river beds of both Kathajodi and Mahanadi.
Tight security arrangement
Around 30 platoons of police forces will be deployed with setting up of 20 police aid posts at the sensitive points in the city during the puja.
Apart from engaging Special Task Force Squad and Quick Action Team, around 100 police officers of SI rank, two Additional SP rank officers and four ACP rank officers will be deployed to ensure safety protocols and Covid guidelines at puja pandals, informed Cuttack DCP Prateek Singh.
The Commissionerate Police would chalk out a guideline for immersion of idols belonging to those few puja committees who have obtained permission from Orissa High Court for installing large size idols.