SHILLONG/ TURA/Jowai: Celebrations of Durga Puja, the largest festival of the Hindus concluded peacefully on Friday in state amidst great fanfare at the immersion of Idols at Wahumkhrah at Polo ground , Shilllong and Ghat at Babupara locality of Tura.
At the culmination of puja , devotees exchanged greetings, distributed sweets and offered prayers.
Conducive weather conditions helped the devotees to throng various puja pandals in parts of Shillong during the four –day puja festival.
There was no untoward incidents reported from any parts of the state during the festivity.
Adequate police presence and citizens’ co-operation was the main reason for the peaceful puja celebrations in parts of the state.
In Shillong, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma along with his cabinet colleagues Roshan Warjri, Ampareen Lyngdoh , AL Hek and Parliamentary Secretary Samuel Sangma visited various puja pandals.
The immersion of idols at Wahumkhrah , Polo which began at 11 am on Friday culminated at around 7 pm peacefully .
In Tura, the procession of Idols began at 2:00 pm from Dobasipara and concluded only by 7:00 pm at the immersion ghat.
The procession was led by the Nepali Durga Puja Committee who completed 130 years this year.
Altogether, 23 Puja pandals were erected this year.
Among all others, Risipara was the most colourful and attractive Puja contingent.
A street drama depicting Godess Durga’s fight with the devil was put on by the Der Mile Puja contingent.
The donning of traditional dresses and costumes by people respective to the community they belong were some of the main attractions of the procession this year.
The situation remained peaceful all throughout the celebrations and there were no untoward incidents.
The District Administration also saw to it that there was elaborate security during the procession as well as throughout the entire duration of the festival.
Pnars celebrate Durga puja at Nartiang
Pnars celebrate Durga puja at Nartiang JOWAI: Pnars at Nartiang village in Jaintia Hills celebrates Durga Puja at the ancient Durga Temple in a traditional way with pomp and fanfare.
On Thursday, known as ‘ Ka Sngi Pamblang’ and on Friday- ‘Ka Sngi Noh Blai’ (Navami).
Thousands of people from various part of the District visitisted to witness the celebration, some of which never in their life. The Pam Blang was administered by the Pandit – Uttam Deshmuk and his younger brother, Molai Desmukh.
Residents of Nartiang village who are still practicing traditional faith who are the Pnars in the district celebrate Durga Puja since time immemorial in a traditional style blend with hinduism.
Every family handed them to the priest or ‘Wamon or Bamon’ hundreds of goats for sacrifice. After the end of the scarification, the dead goat was handed over to the families and each family celebrated the blessing at their respective home.
On Novami, over 120 goats were sacrificed including 75 at Durga Temple or Iung Blai and over 40 at Shiv Mandir or Sahmai located at Lum-sahmai near the Durga Temple.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, Molay Deshmuk narrated that the erstwhile Jaintia Rulers has performed human sacrifice instead of animals.
A small square hole still exists inside the Temple. The hole connected through a secret tunnel to the River Myntang.
During human sacrifices, the head rolled out through the hole and falls in to the adjacent river Myntang”, he informed said.
The practice of human sacrifice was stopped during British rule in the 18th century.
However, the priest perform animal sacrifice inside the temple using a goat dressed in the formed of human being with the help of a human mask as a symbolic to human being.