Sharmili Mallick

The Durga Puja festival will come to an end with the customary idol immersion ceremony of Maa Durga on Saturday. Devotees will bid adieu to the Goddess by immersing her idol in water bodies today.

In view of the prevailing Covid-19 situation and the restrictions imposed by the Odisha government on congregation of devotees during the ‘Visarjan’, the immersion ceremony will be carried out in a low key affair in the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.

The usage of fire crackers and processions with music during immersion of the idols are also barred in the State this year. Besides, for the occasion, 19 platoons of police force have been deployed across Bhubaneswar. 

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has prepared four makeshift ponds for the immersion purpose. Two of them are at Kuakhai river side- one near Bhubaneswar bank and another near Hanspal river bank side. Other two ponds are situated near Tanka Pani road and near Daya river, respectively.

Likewise, six places in Cuttack have been identified for the immersion which includes Devi Gada, Chahata, Kartikeshwara Gada, Ghata Kula and places near Jobra Museum.

In a bid to avoid crowding at the spots, the administration has instructed the puja organisers to carry out the Visarjan of idols one after another today till 6 pm.

While most of the Visarjans will take place today, a few groups will have their idols immersed on October 17, and a route chart for the same has prepared by the administration.

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