Idol immersion marks end of Durga Puja festivities in Barak Valley

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

SILCHAR, Oct 24: After four days of worship, holy rituals and pandal hopping by devotees and puja revelers interspersed with cultural events, it was time to bid adieu to Goddess Mother, Devi Durga, and it was quite pensive to watch as the idols were being immersed at Sadarghat here. The day of Dashami on which the immersion took place has its own significance.

It was on this day that Goddess Durga emerging with fearsome weaponry and supreme powers had killed the ferocious demon Mahishasur who had created a reign of terror and usurped heaven and driven out Gods and Goddesses. Filly after his killing, the Gods returned to heaven along with saints and sages from the earth, praised and paid tributes to Durga. Vijayadashami celebrates the victory of good over evil.

The idols of Kalibariroad Durga Puja Committee and Uttarpara Durga Puja Committee of Udharbond were a unique feature during the four day festivity, this time community pujas of the district maintained the decorum and decency in conformity with the guidelines issued by the district administration. The committees followed the guidelines and there was less sound pollution and also restrained sounds from the microphones, of course, with some exceptions here and there.  

The procession with Gods and Goddesses started from around 10 am and are continuing today with many idols yet to be immersed in the river. The district administration made elaborate arrangements to maintain law and order and also pressed into service mechanized boats with life saving jackets from the Inland Water Transport Department and security personnel around the immersion ghat.

At Karimganj immersion ghat, it was a sea of people. Hundreds of people, men, women and children, gathered on both sides of the border town of Karimganj with river Kushiara dividing India and Bangladesh, to witness the immersions. Facing the border town of Barak Valley is Jakiganj in Sylhet on the other side of the district which came alive with revellers waving hands and shouting at one another as the idols were being immersed. It was also the immersion of the barriers, may be for a short time, between the two neighbouring countries.  

In Barak Valley comprising the three districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi, the bright and beautiful autumn revelry was marked by eye catching illumitions and decorations of idols and puja mandaps and pandals. But, none could match or outdo the puja organized by Udharband Kalibari Road Committee. It was as if all roads led to Udharband with people, numbering in thousands, queuing to catch glimpse of the idol and pay their tributes to the Goddess. With traffic police working round the clock to mage the ever swelling number of vehicles, there was no srl or jam. Cops maintained vigilance and surveillance. Peace and commul harmony was the theme of many pujas and the message conveyed was against discrimition against any person on the basis of caste, creed and religion. With no power cut or load–shedding, it was truly the festival of worship and light.