The annual Durga Puja festivities in Odisha concluded on Friday, as thousands of devotees participated in grand immersion processions to bid farewell to tAChe goddess.
In the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, the processions started around noon and were scheduled to continue late into the night. Major roads were transformed into vibrant scenes featuring lights, firecrackers, music, and dance.
There were 193 community Durga Pujas organized in Bhubaneswar and 160 in Cuttack. Due to restrictions on loud music systems or DJ boxes, many organizers chose to use traditional instruments and cultural performances instead.
In the state capital, immersion processions followed four designated routes and were conducted in groups by various cultural organizations, including the Bhubaneswar Bhasani Utsav Committee (Saheed Nagar), Rajdhani Mandir Suraksha Bhasani Committee (Nayapalli), Uttar Bhubaneswar Bhasani Committee (Chandrasekharpur), and Old Town Bhasani Committees, police said.
Cuttack also saw massive crowd at immersion points such as College Chhak, Ranihat, Mangalabag, Buxibazar, Darghabazar, and Choudhury Bazar. Idols were taken to the historic Devigada ghat, where a temporary pond was established for eco-friendly immersion.
To ensure the smooth conduct of the processions, 122 platoons of police were deployed. They were supported by CCTV and drone surveillance, as well as bomb disposal and anti-terror squads. Traffic restrictions were also enforced throughout the day.
The administration created multiple temporary ponds to prevent the pollution of rivers and other water bodies.
In Bhubaneswar, five such ponds were prepared, though two sustained damage from heavy rains.
Mayor Sulochana Das stated, “Repairs are being carried out on a war footing, and we are confident they will be ready on time.”
For the first time, a special 60-member police team, named CTC 60, was assigned to monitor sound levels and take action against any procession exceeding the 60-decibel limit.
Officials also said that Fire Services and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) personnel were stationed at immersion sites to prevent any untoward incidents.
