TURA: Four days of religious festivity of the Durga Pujas came to a colourful conclusion in the Garo Hills on Tuesday evening with the immersion of the idols of the goddess during the hindu auspicious day of Maha Dashami.
The four day gala event which began from Saturday drew large crowds to the different puja pandals that were elaborately decorated. Visitors to the various pandals were given a warm welcome by the organizers and at several places guests did not go back hungry thanks to an elaborate culinary arrangement put in place with the womenfolk churning out crispy fresh puris and delicious ‘Khichdi’, a dish made from rice and lentils including bajra and mung dal.
The largest crowd of revellers was cleary on Tuesday during the immersion procession with several thousand people marching alongside the 25 lorries carrying the idols of goddess Durga from the different pandals of Tura.
As the procession stretching over two kms snaked its way through Tura bazaar, Hawakahana, AOC, Members Hostel road towards the immersion ghat at Babupara, the weather gods opened up bringing down heavy rains. It failed to deter the revellers who, led by the oldest puja mandap of the Nepali Durga Puja, continued with the procession.
The womenfolk were out in their finery displaying myriad colors of the sari and some, like the ladies representing the Fancy Valley and Thakurbari puja pandals walked I unison with an identical dress code.
Showcasing women power, the ladies from the Dermile Durga puja committee walked all through the procession route dressed up as the goddess Durga carrying spears while another group of women representing the Dalupara puja committee from Dobasipara carried diyas that were lit to represent light conquering over darkness.
Immersion of the idols also took place at several other places in Garo Hills, including Williamnagar, Mahendraganj, Baghmara, Tikrikilla, Phulbari, Ampati, Purakhasia, Dalu, among others.