CUTTACK: The wait for Durga Puja is finally over and the Millennium City on Sunday began its celebrations for the five-day-long festival with traditional pomp and gaiety.
The entire city has been dressed like a bride with over 176 pandals ready to welcome revellers with their unique themes, magnificent idols of the Mother Goddess and intricate silver filigree tableaux. Roads, lanes and bylanes, meanwhile, could be seen dotted with vibrant lights and theme-based welcome arches.
While Goddess Durga is being worshipped at around 103 pandals, idols of other deities like Hara-Parvati, Lord Shiva annihilating demon Jalandhara have been consecrated at the remaining ones. Adhering to the usual tradition, the idol of Bharat Mata is being worshipped at the Bakharabad puja pandal.
Around 34 puja committees have showcased the city’s famous silver filigree work through their Chandi Medhas (silver tableaux) while a 15 puja committees have used gold ornaments to decorate the Mother Goddess and the other deities.
Among the new ones to have made entry into the elite Chandi Medha club this year are the Maa Mangala puja committee, Gopaljew Lane, Matha Sahi and Jobra Durga Mandir Parichalana committee. The Bamphi Sahi Madan Mohan puja committee worshipping Hara-Parbati has come up with a brass tableau this year, taking the total brass-made backdrops in the city to three.
Earlier, Telenga Bazar puja committee worshipping Lords Hara-Parbati and 42 Mouza puja committee worshipping Goddess Durga had constructed their backdrops with brass in 2023 and 2024 respectively. Besides, Rausapatana Durga Puja committee has been using glass-made backdrop since 2023.
As the puja committees observed Sashti Puja by performing ‘Bela Barani’ ritual in the evening, devotees could be seen thronging the pandals to have their first glimpse of the Devi and Her Children. Visitors’ footfall is expected to increase in the upcoming days of Saptami, Ashtami, Navami and Bijaya Dashami. Idol immersion ceremony will be carried out on Friday.
To ease traffic congestion, Commissionerate Police has imposed restrictions on different routes in and around the city besides setting up 36 temporary police-aid posts.
Around 122 platoons of police force has been deployed and more than 600 officers and two companies of CRPF mobilised for maintenance of law and order. Police in plain clothes are also stationed near puja pandals to keep a tab on eve-teasers and anti-socials, informed DCP Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo.
“Stress has been laid on observing a plastic-free, DJ-free and liquor-free festival,” informed secretary of Cuttack Mahanagar puja committee Bhikari Das.