HT Bureau
DIPHU, Oct 3: The five-day Durga Puja festival concluded on Vijayadashami, October 2, with the ceremonial immersion of Durga idols along the riverbanks in Diphu.
Devotees participated in Sindoor Khela, marking the end of the celebrations with vibrant rituals.
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In Diphu town, the immersion took place at the Diphu River near the Recreation-cum-Bio-Diversity Park on Diphu-Manja Road.
This year, the immersion commenced earlier than usual.
After performing the final rituals, the idols were loaded onto trucks and taken in a grand procession.
Women smeared sindoor, or vermillion, on the idols and on each other, while men and children joined in the celebratory festivities.
From 1 pm onwards, idols from various puja pandals, including those from Diphu town, Dillaji, and Birla, were brought to the river.
Private vehicles, two- and three-wheelers, followed the procession, as hundreds of devotees chanted mantras, played traditional drums, blew conch shells, and performed the ulu dhoni ritual as the procession advanced towards the riverbank.
Police personnel were deployed along the riverbank to ensure smooth conduct of the ceremonies and prevent any untoward incidents.
At Jammu Irrigation Canal (Jammuna Ghat), thousands of people gathered to witness the immersion.
Around 20 Durga idols from different pandals across Bakulia town and neighbouring areas were immersed, with local organisers ensuring proper arrangements for crowd management.
The Bakulia police maintained strict vigil throughout the event.
The festival concluded on a note of devotion and communal harmony, with devotees offering aarti, lamps, coconuts, flowers, and prasad before bidding farewell to the goddess through immersion in the river.
