GUWAHATI, Oct 13 � Durga Puja festivities got off to a befitting start on the Maha Shasthi day today, marked by ceremonial rituals, with the people bracing for a more boisterous celebration in the next three days.
Durga Puja, the five-day autumn festival, begins with Maha Shasthi and ends on the Maha Dasami day.
The city wore a festive look in the evening following the ceremonial installation of the idols of Goddess Durga along with Ganesh, Kartick, Lakshmi and Saraswati in the well-decorated and brightly illuminated pandals. This marks the beginning of the Goddess�s five-day earthly sojourn during which she slays the evil demon king Mahisasura. This time the Goddess has come down to the earth on a dola.
While the actual celebrations start from Saptami day tomorrow, the ambience in the city has already reflected the typical puja spirit with people � particularly devotees � visiting the puja pandals in good numbers.