CUTTACK: The five-day Durga Puja festival drew to a close in Cuttack city with immersion of idols on Wednesday.The traditional route leading from Ranihat to Devi Gada, the immersion point on the sand bed of Kathajodi river, remained crowded with devotees making a beeline on the roadside to bid farewell to the Goddess.
A carnival like atmosphere prevailed at Devi Gada and its adjacent Purighat locality as people from different walks of life joined the colourful immersion processions which were accompanied by ‘dhola’, ‘singha’, ‘madal’, ‘dulduli’, blowing of conches and cymbals.
Of the total 170 puja pandals, while Goddess Durga, the annihilator of demon Mahisasura, was worshipped at 98, the clay idols of other deities, including that of Hara-Parvati were consecrated at the remaining pandals. Over 40 idols were immersed in the three artificial ponds set up on Kathajodi river bank near Devi Gada by 7.30 pm.
Keeping tradition intact, the Shakti Pithas (shrines), Bengali communities and individual households immersed their idols and Kalasas immediately after conduct of Bijaya Dasami rituals on Tuesday night.
The immersion ceremony began at 7.30 am. Initially, ‘Sahi Parikrama’, a tradition as per which puja organisers move their medhas in and around their respective sahis or locality, was performed. Later the medhas were taken in grand procession on the traditional route from Ranihat to Devi Gada via Buxi Bazaar and Choudhury Bazaar.
Even as puja committees vied to take out colourful processions, most of them instead of using loudspeakers and different modern electronic musical bands, opted for traditional folk dance and musical instruments in order to minimise noise pollution. Traditional tribal folk dances- Ghoda Nacha, Kela-Keluni, Sabara-Sabaruni folk dance, Jodi Sankha, Dhola-Mahuri or other traditional musical instruments like Jhanja, mrudanga and cymbals were extensively used during the immersion procession.
Various traditional musical and folk dance troupes from different parts of the states like Berhampur, Balangir, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Sundargarh participated and enthralled revellers with their exquisite skills.
As many as 60 platoons of police force were deployed and 34 police aid posts set up for smooth conduct of immersion ceremony in the city, said DCP Pinak Mishra.