SILCHAR, Oct 26 - Amidst COVID-19 scare, Durga Puja celebrations ended peacefully in Barak Valley. While inclement weather and showers dampened the festive spirit till Mahasaptami night, people across southern Assam stepped out to witness the pujas which were held largely in a low-key manner. Even as the idols across the pandals were much lesser in height, there was no dearth in maintaining the rituals. With weather clearing on Mahanavami, revellers thronged the temples and the community puja pandals making most of the festivities amidst a flurry of safety guidelines to keep further spread of the virus away. All the community puja pandals displayed �no mask no entry�, �maintaining social distancing is mandatory,� posters as volunteers were seen allowing the devotees to enter the premises after proper thermal scanning and handwashing chores. Many households wherein Durga Puja is a century-old ritual had also responded to the circumstances in celebrating puja this year.
According to Cachar district administration sources, as many as 500 puja organisers across the district including both community and household pujas took the necessary permission from the administration under the COVID-19 circumstances to organise puja this year. Out of the total, 312 were from Silchar Sadar circle, 60 from Udharbond circle, Katigorah circle had 21 with 70 in Sonai and 37 in Lakhipur circle. Cachar ADC-cum-CEO of Silchar Municipal Board Sumit Sattawan informed that 45 idols from household pujas have been listed to be immersed at the Sadarghat immersion ghat till 2 pm while as many as 80 idols are listed to be immersed till 10 pm on Monday night. There are idols scheduled to be immersed from 7 am till 10 pm on Tuesday as well, Sattawan informed.
Cachar Additional SP (Headquarter) Jagadish Das informed that the three-day celebration passed peacefully in the district with no untoward incident reported so far. �We are keeping constant vigil to keep the festive days peaceful. The immersion proceedings will be conducted amidst proper security arrangements,� the Additional SP said.
Meanwhile, Karimganj SP Mayank Kumar IPS said that barring an incident at a puja pandal in Nilambazar wherein three persons were sent to the juvenile home allegedly for indulging in an incident of vandalisation, the Durga Puja festivities were by and large peaceful across the district.
Interestingly, 72 year old Bijit Choudhury, a priest belonging to the family of royal priests of the Kachari kingdom shared with The Assam Tribune, a 17th century historical reference of Durga Puja which was held during the Dimasa kingdom. In the words of the priest, �the Durga idol which was established by the Kachari Kingdom on Maghi Purnima is now worshipped at their residence in Borkhola. The Durga idol along with her celestial children has presence of Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna and Lord Balaram alongside. We have been performing the Puja rituals at our residence here for the past 50 years. People from the Dimasa community also come and offer puja here. The goddess is also worshipped on Basanti Puja and Maghi Purnima,� the priest was quoted as saying.
