Kolkata: Devotees thronged marquees and community pujas across West Bengal Saturday to bid farewell to deity Durga on ‘Vijaya Dashami’, the last day of the festival.
With anticipation of the homecoming of the deity next year, married women decked in the ritualistic red-and-white saris marked the event with the customary Sindoor Khela or smearing each other and the idols with red vermilion to prepare deity Durga and her four children — Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartik — for their return to their heavenly abode on Mount Kailash.
As part of the observances, enthusiasts cutting across religious and age barriers indulged in dhunuchi naach — dancing to the beat of the dhaak (drums) holding aloft earthen bowls laden with incense and camphor.
Decorated with lights and garlands at the entry gate, the prominent river banks in the city bore a festive look, poised for the immersion ceremony yesterday afternoon. The drum players, busy playing the signature tune of Visarjan (ritual of immersion), made way for the idols to be carried into water.
Young and old devotees joined hands to complete the final rituals before immersing the deity at the end of the five day festivity. Some teenagers were busy clicking selfies with the deity smeared with vermilion and flowers.
At Babughat, one of the prominent immersion banks in Kolkata, the immersion started from around 2pm, which was halted for nearly half an hour due to a sudden shower. Several household and housing complex pujas gathered at the entry gate with the face of the idols covered in plastic. The immersion restarted after the rainfall had reduced.
“We all wait for this festival every year as it is so close to our hearts. It seems the four days of the puja gets over in the blink of an eye and on ‘Dashami’ we all come here with a heavy heart as our mother is going away,” said a veteran member of central Kolkata’s Mukherjee family where the deity is being worshipped for the last 75 years.
“We all shall eagerly wait again for the next year. This festival is so special because it brings joy to everyone across the society,” he added.
