Maa Durga idol immersion 'stuck' in legal trouble in Odisha's Jajpur

Even as a week has passed to Dussehra, Maa Durga is yet to be immersed in a village in Odisha, thanks to a legal trouble among the villagers. A tiff among the villagers has locked Goddess Durga in the puja mandap.

The bizarre incident has been reported from Rambhag village under Jajpur Town police limits.

According to sources, the villagers had set up a puja mandap near a local Narayan Rout’s land. The puja ceremony was going well until Narayan, who is constructing a house, dumped sand at the place, blocking the puja mandap.

Now, the villagers are not able to bring Maa Durga’s idol out of the puja mandap for immersion. Since then, Goddess Durga has been locked in the puja mandap, deprived of ‘bisarjan’.

On the other hand, the land owner alleged that the villagers have lodged a complaint against him and the case is pending in the court.

“All we demand is the sand to be lifted and Maa Durga’s immersion to be done properly. We are not worried about the FIR. All we want is Maa Durga’s immersion,” said Sabita Nayak, a local woman.

Similarly, another local and the Puja Committee Member Amar Sahani said, “We are not able to take out the idol of Maa Durga because they have dumped sand in front of the mandap. We are not even able to open the gate.”

When contacted, the land owner Narayan Rout said, “I have not lodged any police complaint, but the committee members have lodged a complaint against me. As the case is in court, I’m not going to that place.”