Our Bureau
SHILLONG/ TURA/JOWAI, Oct 25: The three-day Durga Puja extravaganza across the state concluded on a peaceful note. Shillong played host to 58 community pandals, all exuberant in their own unique ways.
Various pandals, such as the Garikhana pandal dedicated to Chandrayan 3, the Jail Road pandal, and the Rilbong pandal, became the talk of the town.
Notably, the Motinagar Durga Puja idol, Nepali Durga Mandir idol, and Mathura Compound idol stood out for their distinctive designs.
The entire city was alive with people donning their finest attire, exploring pandals illuminated by the city’s dazzling lights.
The dhak competition (drum-beating) at the Rilbong Durga Puja Pandal, Dandia nights at Rilbong and Kench’s Trace kept the pandal hoppers on their toes and entertained, and served as the highlight of the Durga Puja celebration of the city.
Adequate police and traffic arrangements were put in place to manage the expected crowds in different areas.
Street-vendors, balloon and pani-puri/alumuri sellers had a gala time near puja pandals.
The idols were immersed at the designated Polo immersion ground on Tuesday that is on the auspicious occasion of Vijaya Dashami.
Following the immersion, the Central Puja Committee assigned people and took the steps to clean the entire stream on Wednesday morning.
However, some Durga Puja committees are yet to let the Durga Puja fever die down as the celebration continues with hosting of plays and musicals.
The Laban Sanatan Dharmasabha, in its post-Durga Puja celebration, hosted a comedy play as a tribute to late Bhanu Bondhopadhyay which was performed by local artists and directed by Debdas Bhattacharjee.
Many such committees are to host several events in the run-up to Laxmi Puja.
Garo Hills bids emotional
adieu to Goddess Durga
Garo Hills, on the other hand, bid an emotional adieu to Goddess Durga with 116 puja committees across the five districts immersing idols of the Goddess in various river bodies. Tura, which had the largest number of puja pandals in the entire region, concluded its 4 day merriment by immersing idols at the Bisarjan Ghat at Babupara.
The entire coordination of the various puja pandals across the region was overseen by the Central Puja Committee (Garo Hills chapter) with not even one incident being reported from any of the places where puja took place. This year saw the most number of pujas being held in Garo Hills with additions coming from many districts.
Durga Puja is the most celebrated festival of the Hindu community in the region and the celebrations this year reflected the same emotion.
“Durga Puja in Tura is an absolute emotion. Wherever we may be, once it’s time for Durga Puja, the yearning to be there cannot be expressed in words. It is this time that entire families get together wherever they may be. It’s that time when you have been around people that you have known your entire life,” said Rahul Gupta, a resident of Tura.
Tuesday, which was the last day of this years’ celebration, began with a procession that moved through the entire town of Tura with the idols being brought in vehicles to make the last trip of the Goddess for this year. Devotees danced and sang through the entire procession with many turning emotional during the immersion. The wait for next year’s Pujas could not have been expressed more aptly.
The procession on Tuesday began from the Police Parade ground in the Tura Market area before snaking through most parts of the town. The entire town was present on the route to get a last glimpse of Goddess Durga through the route of the procession. The procession began at 1 pm with immersion being completed just a little after dark.
Speaking about the successful conduct of pujas this year, CPC secretary, Arup Nag thanked the district administration, the various police departments, Tura Municipal Board (TMB), the PHE, PWD along with other line departments who worked with them in ensuring a safe and successful Puja.
“We would like to thank everyone for their support and it was only due to the coordination of the administration and police that the Pujas passed without incident.
Our special thanks to DC of WGH, Jagdish Chelani, ADC Dolrich BG Momin, OC of Tura PS and Dobasipara outpost for their help. Without the help of line departments including the PHE, PWD, TMB, MeECL, Tura Traffic and SDRF, things would have been difficult,” Nag said.
Puja festivities, however, are far from over for residents of Tura with the annual Dhak competition, which surprisingly was given the short shrift last year, to be held on Thursday. A packed house is expected at the Tura Parade ground from 5 pm on Thursday with the five best puja pandal ‘dhakis’ performing. Tura MP Agatha Sangma is expected to be the chief guest for the evening along with CPC president, Naba Bhattacharjee.
A cultural band from Tura with singers from Guwahati will perform in the programme.
Earlier during the pujas, the CPC distributed new clothes to the needy and blankets to the cleaners of TMB supermarket at Tura.
“Every place has something unique that takes place during Durga Puja. For Tura, the Dashami procession is the hardest to replicate anywhere else. There is so much of bonhomie that you would think everyone is your friend. This spirit of celebration is something that we look forward to every year. Just can’t wait until next year’s Puja,” said CPC member and Tura resident, Sushanta Biswas.
Smooth conduct of celebrations in Jowai
In Jowai, the annual celebrations came to a close with merriment and contentment among children, youths and elders.
The celebration started from October 20.
On October 24, the last day of celebration, all ceremonies were solemnised at Shiv Mandir before the immersion of idols of Goddess Durga in Myntdu river. On this day, officials from the district administration had escorted the parade of devotees, who marched with joyous slogans of victory against evil.
The festival was also celebrated in other parts of West Jaintia Hills such as Nartiang and Muktapur besides Khliehriat in East Jaintia Hills.