CUTTACK: The Durga Puja festival drew to a close in the millennium city with immersion of idols of the Mother Goddess, Hara-Parvati and other deities on Monday.
The road from Ranihat to Devi Gada, the immersion point located on the bed of river Kathajodi, brimmed with thousands of devotees who waited to bid farewell to Goddess Durga.
Of the total 173 puja mandaps, Goddess Durga was worshipped at 101 pandals. Clay idols of other deities, including that of Hara-Parbati were consecrated at the remaining 72 puja pandals. At least 36 idols of Goddess Durga and Hara-Parbati were immersed in three artificial ponds created on Kathajodi river bank near Devi Gada by 7.30 pm.
The immersion ceremony began at 9 am with ‘Sahi Parikrama’, a tradition in which puja organisers move their medhas in and around their respective localities. Later, the medhas were taken in a grand procession on the traditional route from Ranihat to Devigada via Mangalabag, Buxi Bazaar, Tinikonia Bazaar, Dargha Bazaar and Choudhury Bazaar, Nimchuari, Chandni Chowk and Telenga Bazaar.
Instead of using DJ, loudspeakers and modern electronic musical bands, most of the puja committees opted for traditional folk dances and musical instruments to observe the immersion ceremony with minimum noise pollution.
Traditional tribal folk dances, Ghoda Nacha, Sandha Nacha, Kela-Keluni, Sabara-Sabaruni, Jodi Sankha and Dhola-Mahuri were performed while musical instruments like jhanja, mrudanga and cymbals were used during the immersion procession. Various traditional musical and folk dance troupes from different parts of the state like Berhampur, Balangir, Sambalpur, Sonepur and Sundargarh participated in the procession.
“A few puja committees opted for band party procession. They will stop using band party and go for adopting the traditional musical instruments after midnight,” said Mahanagar Shanti Committee secretary Bikhari Das.
Apart from traffic restrictions, 60 platoons of police force were deployed for smooth conduct of immersion ceremony. At least 35 police aid posts were also set up in the city, said DCP Jagmohan Meena. On Saturday night, members of the Bengali community, individual households and Shakti Pithas immersed their idols immediately after Bijaya Dasami rituals were over.