NEW DELHI: On the last day of Durga Puja, the Bengali community in the Capital bade farewell to the Goddess amid festive fervour as idols of the deity were immersed in the Yamuna.
“We began [the procession] around 2-30 p.m. with shehnai and band players following the M urti, which was taken to the Yamuna on a bullock cart,” said Delhi Durga Puja Samiti (Kashmere Gate) chairman Arun Ghoshal. He said the procession, which travelled on foot, began earlier in the day to avoid the usual rush at the river banks.
Huge idols of the deity were immersed in the Yamuna at various river banks in different parts of the city, including Kalindi Kunj, Wazirabad, Okhla Barrage and Geeta Ghat.
Though Delhi Police personnel were deployed across the city, many associations like Delhi Durga Puja Samiti and Antaranga Puja Association Mayur Vihar arranged for their own security to follow the puja processions.
Though puja celebrations were a comparatively low- key affair in the city this year because of the just concluded Commonwealth Games, the spirit of the festival remained intact. “You feel happy because you are bidding farewell to Maa Durga, but at the same time feel sad because you have to wait another year for the puja,” said Vasant Vihar resident Prasoon Dutta.
Some people rued that puja festivities were no longer about tradition only. “Celebrations have become more commercial over the years. Though it is the best time of the year for an expatriate Bengali like me, the charm of the festival is not the same as it was about a decade ago,” said Gurgaon resident Anvesha Chatterjee.
Most associations also took care to use only “natural materials” and biodegradable substances to adorn the idol to prevent polluting the river.
Traffic jams were reported in many areas including Kalindi Kunj, Wazirpur and Chittaranjan Park because of immersion processions. Traffic movement between Wazirabad and Rajghat was also affected because of puja celebrations.
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