HT Correspondent
HOJAI, Oct 25: The vibrant and culturally rich Durga Puja festival came to a tranquil conclusion in Hojai, where devotees gathered for the solemn immersion of the goddess’s idols, marking the end of the five-day celebration.
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Devotees from across Hojai District participated in the emotional farewell to their beloved mother goddess, Durga, as her beautifully adorned idols were immersed in ponds, lakes, and rivers on the auspicious occasion of Vijaya Dashami.
The air was filled with the beats of traditional dhaks, and married women exchanged vermilion on each other’s foreheads and cheeks as the idols of Mother Durga and other deities embarked on their journey to various immersion points, including the Bhootnath pond, Damru stream at Hojai Nilbagan Road, Kalibari, and Shivbari ghat. The immersion process, while a joyful occasion, was also tinged with a sense of sorrow as it symbolized the conclusion of the four-day Durga Puja festivities.
People from diverse backgrounds, adorned in beautiful attire, flocked to different puja pandals throughout Hojai. These included the Shivbari Sarbajanik Durga Puja, Aadarsh Durga Puja, Marwari Durgotsav, Ram Krishna Mission, Bishnupally Sarbajanik Durga Puja pandal, Kedia Puram, Harijan Colony, and many others, to partake in the immersion of the Goddess Durga’s idols.
At the Aadarsh Durga Puja Pandal, the rituals of Dashami commenced with the traditional puja of the Goddess, accompanied by the chanting of mantras. This was followed by the darpan visarjan, a symbolic immersion of the idols in a mirror, a tradition that holds significance every year. At Laxminarayan Temple Puja Pandal, women applied sindoor on the Goddess’s forehead and offered betel leaves and sweets.
This year, to set an exemplary example and honor the senior citizens of the community, the puja samity also felicitated the respected social worker, journalist, and advocate, Nikhil Kumar Mundra.
As a tradition, thousands of devotees congregated at KaliBari and Shivbari to witness the grand immersion of the idol of Maa Durga. They participated in colorful processions, enjoying the rhythmic hymns and drums.
Following the immersions, a ceremony was held to distribute ‘Shanti jal,’ collected from the immersion sites. This ritual symbolizes the conclusion of the puja fiesta, with an atmosphere of peace and unity.
The Hojai District Administration took extensive security measures, deploying a substantial number of security personnel to ensure the safe and peaceful culmination of the festival. This year’s Durga Puja in Hojai District was made even more special by the presence of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who worshiped Maa Durga at various puja mandaps in Lumding and Hojai on Maha Ashtami.
