Durga puja ends amidst festivity

The-five-day Sharadiya Durga Puja, the most sacred festival of the Bengali Hindus ended on Monday with immersion of the images of Goddess Durga in rivers of the country.

The last day ritual of the festival was celebrated amid much enthusiasm and festivity. ‘Prasad’ and sweets were distributed among the devotees as well as people belonging to other communities, who visited the Puja Mandaps.

Marking the Bijoya Dashami, women devotees were seen pasting vermillion (Sindur) on the forehead of Goddess Durga and exchanged themselves too amid joyous and festive mood.

This year for the first time, the idols were taken to the river, ponds, canals and other water bodies for immersion with special arrangements instead of any colourful procession, dancing and singing `kirton’ due to coronavirus pandemic .

However, hundreds of devotees joined the ritual when the idols were being carried to the nearby rivers particularly from all mandaps or makeshift pavilions for immersion.

Members of police, RAB, BGB and Ansar-VDP were on round-the-clock duty since the beginning of the Puja.

The officials, politicians and leaders of different socio-cultural organizations including other religion followers visited different puja mandaps.

Durga Puja, also known as Durgotsava or Mahashtami, is a Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates the worship of the goddess Durga.

Durga Puja celebrates the ten-armed mother goddess and her victory over the evil buffalo demon Mahishasura.