Our Bureau
SHILLONG/TURA, Oct 3: Over 260 pandals across Meghalaya hosted Durga Puja this year, filling the state with devotion, music and festivity before concluding on Wednesday with grand yet peaceful immersion ceremonies.
From the hills of Shillong to the plains of Garo Hills, thousands of devotees joined in to bid farewell to Goddess Durga, carrying idols in colourful processions that echoed with chants, drumbeats and the glow of fireworks.
The celebrations began on Sunday evening, when pandals across the state lit up with decorative themes and devotional music, drawing large numbers of devotees.
Over the four days, worshippers thronged the pandals to offer prayers, join cultural programmes and share in the festive food stalls that sprang up around the celebrations.
On the final day, various localities turned into a spectacle of colour and sound. Idols carried on decorated vehicles made their way through the streets, accompanied by groups of devotees dancing to the traditional rhythm of dhaks and dhols.
Women, donning bright saris, participated in the ritual ‘sindoor khela’, smearing vermilion on one another in a symbolic farewell to the goddess, while families and children followed the processions with quiet excitement.
The immersion ceremonies themselves were marked by order and calm. At the ghats, hundreds gathered to watch as idols were lowered into the waters, with chants of “Durga Maa ki Jai” and “Asche bochor abar hobe” (She will return next year) rising into the evening sky. The atmosphere carried both joy and poignancy—from days of togetherness and devotion to bidding farewell to the goddess.
Across Meghalaya, the conclusion of Durga Puja this year was notable not only for its colour and devotion but also for the peace with which it unfolded.
GH bids emotional farewell to Goddess Durga
Garo Hills witnessed the successful culmination of this year’s Durga Puja celebrations as 142 puja committees from across the five districts immersed idols of Goddess Durga in various river bodies. The mood was somber with the festivities drawing to a close, yet vibrant with dancing and singing by devotees bidding farewell to the Goddess.
Tura, which hosted the largest number of puja pandals in the region (31), concluded its four-day festivities with idol immersion at the Bisarjan Ghat in Babupara.
The Central Puja Committee (Garo Hills) oversaw coordination among puja pandals across the region, ensuring that the celebrations remained incident-free throughout the festival. This year recorded the highest number of pujas in Garo Hills, with 22 new committees joining across the districts.
“Durga Puja in Tura is an absolute emotion. Wherever we may be, once it’s time for Durga Puja, the yearning to be here cannot be expressed in words. It is that time when entire families get together, no matter where they are. It’s when you are surrounded by people you’ve known your entire life and celebrate togetherness,” said Rahul Gupta, a resident of Tura.
The final day of the four-day celebration, Vijayadashami, began with a grand procession that wound through the town of Tura, with idols carried in vehicles for their last journey of the year. Devotees danced and sang throughout the procession, with many turning emotional during the immersion. Near Babupara, however, celebrations were kept slightly muted in consideration of the Tura Maternity and Child Hospital (TM&CH).
The entire route from the Police Parade Ground in the Tura Market area to the Bisarjan Ghat was packed with devotees. The procession, which began at 1 pm, concluded with the immersion shortly after dark.
“Every place has something unique during Durga Puja. For Tura, the Dashami procession is the hardest to replicate anywhere else. There is so much bonhomie that you feel everyone is your friend. This spirit of celebration is what we look forward to every year. Can’t wait until next year’s Puja,” said Tura resident and CPC assistant general secretary, Souvik Sanyal.
Meanwhile, the festivities in Tura are not yet over, with the ‘Vijaya Utsav’ scheduled for October 8 at the Tura Parade Ground. The event is expected to draw a huge crowd, featuring performances by local and outstation artists, along with a prize distribution ceremony.
Earlier, the annual Dhak competition saw spirited participation from dhakis representing all 31 puja pandals of Tura town, with Friends’ Club emerging as the winner of the prestigious event.
