CUTTACK: In a first in the city, local women will participate in the immersion ceremony of Firingi Bazaar Puja Committee this year. The committee, which will stick to tradition, will also not play movie songs at its pandal. “While bhajans will be played, in a first in the city, local women will be allowed to participate in the immersion ceremony on Dwadasi. The ceremony, during which no band party will be used, is going to be a simple affair,” said secretary of the puja committee Naresh Kumar Sahu.
He said the idol of the goddess will be immersed at Devigada. As per tradition, after the ‘Bela Barani’ ritual, the puja at the pandal will start from Sasthi when six varieties of ‘bhoga’ will be offered to the goddess. The number of ‘bhoga’ items will match the day of the festival and on Dashami, ‘dahi pakhala’ and ‘janhi poda’ will be the added attractions. ‘Anna Bhoga’ will be offered on all days of the festival.
The committee had started with ‘Pituala Puja’ in 1964 and switched to ‘Hara-Parbati puja’. It has been worshipping goddess Durga since 2008. The committee came up with ‘chandi medha’ (silver tableau) 2013. The tableau is the 17th entry into the elite ‘chandi medha’ club of the city. This year, the tableau has been renovated with use of an additional 84 kg silver.
The committee will not host cultural programmes or erect lit gates near its pandal. It will instead decorate 100 houses leading to the road with lights. “We have a budget of Rs 5 to Rs 7 lakh for celebrating Durga Puja in a simple manner. This year, the immersion procession will be more colourful and attractive with inclusion of women,” said the puja committee president Purna Chandra Singh.
Traditional yet simple