Vijaya Dashami Celebrated Across State

Correspondents

Tezpur: The five-day Durga Puja, the greatest of all Hindu festivals, came to an end on Friday with the solemn immersion of the Goddess Durga in the Tezpur town and elsewhere in the State. Devotees thronged the puja mandaps to celebrate Vijaya Dashami, the last day of the festival. They recited mantras and offered flowers to the goddess Durga (pushpanjali) and prayed for her blessings.

Each of the mandaps across the town was ornamented with beautiful idols, showcasing the goddess in all her glory. Vijaya Dashami is the special ceremony of reaffirming peace and good relations among people. On this day, families visit each other to share sweetmeats. Married Hindu women put vermilion on each other’s forehead on the occasion. The number of puja pandals has increased this year. There were 180 puja pandals in Tezpur town.

Thousands of people thronged the Tezpur Jahazghat to observe the final phase of the festival — the immersion of the goddess Durga. “Durga Puja is very close to our hearts and every year all of us wait for this festival very enthusiastically. On Dashami, we come here with a heavy heart to bid adieu to our mother,” said social activist Goutam Roy. “This festival is special for all of us because it brings joy and happiness. We shall be eagerly waiting for it again next year,” Roy added.

Speaking to The Sentinel, Sonitpur Deputy Commissoner Monoj Kumar Deka said, “The immersion of Durga idols has been going on since morning amidst tight security arrangements on all the ghats. Police vans were posted at the entry gates and SDRF, NDRF team were kept ready in case of any emergency. The immersion of Durga idols should get over by 8 pm.”

JOYSAGAR: A peaceful and happy celebration of Durga Puja was seen in Sivasagar too along with the rest of the State. Devotees thronged various puja pandals for the last day prayer on Friday in the Dashami Puja. All the 25 idols of Sivasagar town were immersed in the Dikhow River Ghat this afternoon where hundreds of devotees took part.

SARUPATHAR: Vijaya Dashami, a celebration of victory of good over evil, is being observed across the State on Friday. Since morning devotees have been making beeline at Durga mandaps and temples to seek blessings of the Goddess. Special arrangements have been made at different puja mandaps across the state for the Vijaya Dashami celebrations.

This auspicious day of victory of good over evil was celebrated in different parts of the State including Sarupathar in Dhansiri subdivision at Golaghat district. According to Sarupathar Town Committee, Durga Puja was celebrated in 15 Durga Puja pandals across the Sarupathar town. The idols of Durga were immersed in water by devotees signifying the departure of the Goddess from the material world.

DEMOW: After five days of Durga Puja celebration, on Friday the immersion of Durga idols was done in Demow River. A cultural procession was taken out by different puja committees and eight Durga idols were immersed in Demow River. In the presence of local administration and Demow Police, the idols were immersed in Demow River. Every year the GTPL V & S Cable Private Limited Group organizes the Durga Puja competition in the town and in this year among all the Durga Puja of Demow, the Demow Nitai Road Sarbajanin Durga Puja Committee got the award for best puja. The award was given away by the authority of GTPL V & S Cable Private Limited Group on Maha Ashtami.

The Nabajyoti Sangha Demow Puja Committee had organized dance competition near their puja pandal on the night of Navami Puja where the winning competitors were given trophies and certificates. Security was beefed up in Demow and its surrounding areas during Durga Puja. The Demow Police carried out random checks and no-entry points were put up. However no untoward incident took place in Demow during Durga Puja.

LAKHIMPUR: The festivities of Durga Puja came to its conclusion in Lakhimpur district with the Vijaya Dasami on Friday. Simultaneously, the pomp and grandeur, the devotional environment with blended notes of the Durga Vandana in 88 permitted puja mandaps in the district also came to still for a year.

To celebrate the divine glorification of the feminine power, the Shakti, the Mahishasuramardini, symbolizing the triumph of good over the evil; devotees thronged the puja mandaps on Wednesday and Thursday in order to perform the religious rituals to worship the mother goddess on the occasion of Maha Astami and Maha Navami praying for peace, progress and prosperity. These days, devotees were seen crowded at Panchanan Dewalaya, Baithawati Than, Neel Dewalaya, Maa Padumoni Aai Than, Durga Mandir under North Lakhimpur subdivision and Sri Sri Iswari Harhi Dewalaya Ma Manipuri Aai than under Dhakuakhona subdivision which are the noted Devi peeths of the district. Most of the devotees made animal sacrifice violating the ‘Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. The devotees observed Dussehra on Friday on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami.

“No law-and-order issues prevailed in the district during the days of the Durga Puja. We are very much thankful to all concerned for maintaining peace and harmony in the celebration of the festival,” stated Sudhakar Singh, the Lakhimpur district Superintendent of Police while talking to The Sentinel in this regard.