Mahalaya Celebrated in Sivasagar

A Correspondent

JOYSAGAR: Mahalaya was celebrated in Sivasagar on Monday. The Sarbajanin Durga Puja and the Hindu Dharma Sabha Naamghar Puja Committee formally took out a religious procession throughout the town and Devi strutam, Gayatri mantra and Chandi mantra were recited by the priests. A festive mood has set as Mahalaya marks the start of Durga Puja.

In Sivasagar town, about 25 puja committees are making preparations to celebrate Durga Puja. Besides, in the historic Devidol, arrangement for Devi Puja is also on. Ahom king Shiva Singha’s second wife Rani Ambika or Madambika had started the Sivasagar Devi Dol Durga Puja in 1731. Since then this puja is celebrated in the banks of the historic Sivasagar Borpukhuri where hundreds of devotees and foreign tourists come to take part in the celebration every year. On Mahalaya, devotees offered tarpan and parban shardha to their forefathers and also took a dip in the Dikhow River, Desang River and in the Brahmaputra Tribeni Sangam Ghat of Sivasagar.