Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 21 Oct: The five-day Durga Puja Mahotsav 3.0, organised by the Durga Puja Samiti & Cultural Association at Jalvayu Towers, Jhajra, came to a grand close on Wednesday with Vijaya Dashami celebrations.
The day began with the Maha Dashami Puja, followed by the traditional Darpan Visarjan, in which Maa Durga’s reflection is viewed in a mirror and symbolically immersed. The ladies of the society, dressed in traditional red-and-white attire, then performed the Sindoor Khela. They offered sindoor and sweets to Maa Durga as a farewell, then smeared sindoor on one another, praying for lasting happiness and prosperity. To the beat of the dhak and the sound of the shankh, the pandal turned a vibrant red.
This was followed by a Shobha Yatra with dhol and dhak, and chants of “Aasche Bochor Abar Hobe” (Come again next year, Maa). A large number of residents took part, and many were moved to tears as they bid farewell to the Goddess.
In the evening, the Shanti Jal and Vijaya Sammelan were held. Holy water was sprinkled with prayers for everyone’s well-being, and at the Vijaya Sammelan residents exchanged Vijaya Dashami greetings, sought blessings from elders and shared sweets.
Office-bearers of the Samiti said the Mahotsav began on 15 October with the “Shankhnaad se Maa ka Swagat” programme. From Shashthi to Dashami, the puja rituals were accompanied by dhunuchi naach, kirtan, cultural evenings, children’s competitions, bhandara and dandiya nights. The Samiti thanked all residents, guests, supporters and members of the media for making the Mahotsav a success.
Present on the occasion were Samiti members Mrigendra Choudhury, Jolly Sen, Vinay Kandpal, Rituparna, Tarit Mitra, Gargi, Sandeep, Tanupriya Choudhury, Arup Chakraborty, Kalyani, Debajyoti, Deepak Ranjan, Chandana Mitra, Abhijeet, Meenakshi, Sudhir Jain, Dolan and Debashish, among other dignitaries.
