Durga Puja festivities wrapped up

Cuttack/Bhubaneswar: As the five-day Durga Puja festivities wrapped up peacefully across Odisha, idol immersion was held amidst tight security in the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar on Monday.

Cuttack, a major centre of attraction during Durga Puja, saw all roads leading to Devi Gada on the left embankment of Kathajodi river for the immersion, which proceeded smoothly without any untoward incidents. This year, Bhubaneswar hosted 187 puja pandals while Cuttack featured 170.

The clay idols of Maa Durga, accompanied by beautifully decorated tableaux, were taken in majestic processions to makeshift ponds for immersion, supported by a significant police presence.

Notably, procession parties in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar refrained from using vehicles for manual music or DJs. Puja committees had agreed with district administrations to adhere to the slogan ‘No Liquor and No DJ’ during the immersion processions.

“The two-day-long immersion festival will continue throughout Monday night and conclude by Tuesday morning,” Twin City Police Commissioner S Devadutta Singh said. Singh, along with Cuttack DCP Jagmohan Meena and other senior officers, is overseeing the processions from a temporary CCTV control room set up at Dargha Bazar police station. Approximately, 444 CCTV cameras have been installed along the procession routes in Cuttack, with footage being monitored round the clock by police.

Earlier, the puja rituals wrapped up on Sunday evening with Bijoya Dashami celebrations, which included the burning of Ravana effigies at several locations.