GUWAHATI, Jan 22 - Saraswati Puja, the festival of worshipping the Goddess of Learning according to Hindu mythology, was celebrated with much fanfare all over the State today.
With rituals performed in front of Saraswati idols in the pandals, the students invoked the deity�s blessings to excel in their studies.
Educational institutions across the State were teeming with students in their best traditional attires and taking part in puja revelry. The puja rituals were held early in the morning, followed by distribution of prasad and also a feast of khichiri, payosh etc., at many places.
The streets of Guwahati had a vibrant and colourful look, with girls dressed in traditional mekhela-chador and boys also giving them a tough competition with their well-groomed looks. Every year, Saraswati Puja provides the students of schools and colleges an opportunity to come out in their best attires and enjoy the festival with their friends.
�After puja, we went to a nearby cafeteria and enjoyed a good time with our friends. This year being my last Saraswati Puja in the college, my entire group came together and enjoyed the festivities,� a degree final year student of B Borooah College said.
The fashion parade of students, however, did not go well with many, who thought the tradition was deteriorating with more thrust on dress and makeup and little emphasis on devotion and learning.
�Students do not only come out on to the streets for a �fashion parade�, they also cause a tremendous traffic jam in every area of the city. It took me nearly an hour to reach Panbazar from RG Baruah Road due to the heavy traffic jam,� Amal Barman, a local of Jonali area said.
