Goddess returns to her heavenly abode

BALASORE: The pandals wore a gloomy look after the final hours of rush on Thursday night. The desolate pandals epitomized the town’s fatigue after three hectic Puja days. It was time for Ma Durga to return to Her abode. Immersion of deities is like bidding farewell to a daughter, said Pritilata Banerjee. “We dress up the Goddess like a newly-wed and all rituals including ‘Kanakanjali’ are performed,” she added. Earlier in the day, the procession of deities, mainly those worshipped in houses, congregated near Balighat, Nuniajodi and other major ghats on the banks of Budhabalanga. The community Puja organisers later joined them. The town had around 72 community puja mandaps, this time.The streets from Vivekananda Marg to Balighat and from Police Line Square to Nuniajodi ghat witnessed puja frenzy with youths dancing to the beats of drums during the procession. Police pickets were set up at all immersion junctions. “To prevent traffic congestion, vehicular movement was regulated at important places. About 25 platoons of police were deployed,” said Balasore SP Rajesh Kumar.BARIPADA: Dasami customs began on Friday with the devotees offering sweets to the Goddess and applying naru (a mixture of cosmetic powder and face make-up items) on her face. In the afternoon, women of Bangalipada participated in the ‘sindur khela’. While the organisers of Oriyapada and Bangalipada had immersed the idols on Thursday evening after Dussehra Puja, the other puja committees took out the immersion procession on Friday. Altogether 26 pandals were erected across Baripada town. KALISI YATRABHADRAK: Shyampur observes a unique ritual on Dussehra when a person is immersed in a village pond instead of the Goddess.Popularly known as Kalisi Yatra, the event saw Laxmidhar Swain being taken in a grand procession and immersed in Balipokhari of Dakhinabadi village near Shyampur. It is believed that the Goddess merges with the Kalisi and it is the spirit which is immersed. After spending few minutes inside the water, the Kalisi returns. “Earlier, my forefathers performed the act,” said Swain.