A rain-soaked Durga Puja
As the calendar flips to October 5, the vibrant streets of Shillong have fallen into an eerie silence, akin to a period of silent contemplation after a five-day bender. The pandals that buzzed with devotion, drumbeats, and dance are now dismantled, leaving behind only faded flower petals and the faint echo of the dhak.
Let’s rewind to the festivities. This year, the celebrations kicked off early, with over 140 pandals sprouting up like mushrooms after a rainstorm.
Devotees flocked to pandals, offering prayers, admiring artistic idols, and indulging in cultural programmes that ranged from soul-stirring Rabindra Sangeet and Baul songs to questionable Bollywood remixes. The air was thick with incense, excitement, and the aroma of khichuri being offered at most of the pandals.
Enter the villain: the rain. Shillong, already infamous for its weather mood swings, decided to crank it up during Durga Puja. What started as a light drizzle on Saptami escalated by Navami afternoon, turning the festive fun into a fiasco.
And the immersion on Vijaya Dashami was also a rainy affair. Devotees braved the downpour to bid farewell to the Goddess at Wahumkhrah, but the downpour throughout the day dampened their spirits.
If the rain wasn’t enough, the food stalls around the city decided to pile on the misery of devotees. The humble samosa was selling at Rs 30 apiece, chicken pakoras with the chicken missing were priced at Rs 50 and two minute pieces of tandoori chicken were priced at a premium Rs 100. The egg roll, a must have during Pujas, was equally priced at Rs 50 everywhere.
But hey, that’s the beauty of Durga Puja—it’s a triumph of spirit over sogginess, devotion over downpour and festivities over inflation. For next year, let’s pray for sunnier skies—and cheaper samosas.
Festive traffic chaos chokes city
Durga Puja day turned into a test of patience for Shillong’s commuters as the city witnessed suffocating traffic jams that stretched late into the night and beyond, particularly on October 1 (Durga Puja day). Vehicles crawled along key stretches, especially Barik to Rilbong Point, with even quick-weaving two-wheelers left stranded for hours.
However, indiscipline on the roads compounded the chaos. Many riders and drivers attempted to overtake at every opportunity, spilling into the opposite lane and blocking oncoming traffic entirely. The snarl-ups forced some motorists heading towards Jhalupara and Garikhana to take a long detour via Police Bazar, Motphran, and Jeep Stand.
For many, the city’s festive sparkle dimmed under the weight of its own traffic.
