By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 30: With Vijayadashami just a day away, the Puja revelry in Shillong has reached its peak, blending devotion, tradition, and community bonding in equal measure.
On Tuesday, Shillong witnessed vibrant celebrations on Navami, marked by prayers, cultural programmes, and community gatherings.
Favourable weather conditions ensured smooth proceedings, with streets and pandals relatively less crowded compared to previous years. Fortunately, no untoward incident was reported, as the district administration maintained strict vigilance across all major venues.
One of the highlights of the day was the Navami Bali ritual at Madan Laban Nepali Puja, which drew a large number of devotees. The Shillong Hindu Dharma Sabha at Thana Road celebrated a historic milestone, being its 125th year of Durga Puja, while the Meghalaya Hindu Mission marked its 75th Puja this year.
At Ramakrishna Mission, Laitumkhrah, a large number of devotees witnessed the worship of a little girl child dressed as Goddess as traditional Kumari Puja marked Mahastami at the venue.
Adding to the festive spirit, several pandals across the city organised musical programmes, Dandiya dance nights, bhog prasad distribution, sports events, and cultural competitions, drawing enthusiastic participation from both the young and old citizens of the city.
The Rilbong Durga Puja Committee on Tuesday emerged as the champion in the group category of 32nd Annual Drum-Beat Competition, bagging the coveted Shiv Kumar Memorial Running Trophy, followed by the RR Colony Saradiya Utsav Samiti in second place and the New Colony Durga Puja Committee in third.
The 32nd edition of the Central Puja Committee’s Drum-Beat competition, held at Sarojini Girls Upper Primary School, RR Colony, Shillong, witnessed enthusiastic participation from various Durga Puja Committees across the city.
In the individual category, the first prize went to Moniram Das and Subal Das of RR Colony Saradiya Utsav Samiti. The second prize was awarded to Biswajit Kinnar and Pulin Kinnar of the Rilbong Durga Puja Committee, while the third prize went to Mukul Kinnar and Bipul Kinnar of the Survey of India Durga Puja Committee.
A special award was conferred on Pragati Sangha Sarbajanin Durga Puja Committee, Keating Road, for being the Best Entertainment Team. Apart from the winners, all participating drum-beating teams representing different Durga Puja Committees of Shillong received Rs 1,000 each as a consolation prize from CPC Meghalaya.
The Shiv Kumar Memorial Running Trophy, along with cash prizes and medals, was sponsored by Shri Ajay Agarwal of Lama Villa, Shillong, in loving memory of his late father, Shiv Kumar Agarwal.
The event was hosted this year by the R.R. Colony Saradiya Utsav Samiti.
