A grand finale and send off

Bollywood actors would have been put to shame if they could see the dance of Bijon Das. The 69- year-old kept up his ceremonial dance throughout the journey from CR Park to Kalindi Kunj where his samiti bid farewell to Godess Durga, reports Shubhodeep Chakravarty.

Bollywood actors would have been put to shame if they could see the dance of Bijon Das. The 69- year-old kept up his ceremonial dance throughout the journey from CR Park to Kalindi Kunj where his samiti bid farewell to Godess Durga.

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As hundreds of trucks with thousands of people converged on the banks of Yamuna, the immersion of Godess Durga turned into a spectacle.

"Durga's send off is an emotional one for us. Although a slightly sad event (as it marks the end of festivity), we want to give her a passionate farewell," said Das, a resident of Mayur Vihar.

Agreed Pranab Chatterjee of Mela Ground Puja Samiti in CR Park.

“The farewell is a part and does not necessarily mean an end to puja. The energy involved is deliberate so that the goddess keeps returning to her devotees every year,” he said.

Geeta Ghat was one of the several locations on the banks of the Yamuna that looked like a huge fair by afternoon. The goddess was offloaded to the shouts of "Bolo Durga Mai ki Jai" as the sound of dhak (drums) reverberated.

Managing the huge crowd was a tough task, but a number of police, traffic police and puja volunteers kept a constant vigil.

“Over 200 immersions have taken place here alone. We are announcing advisories to ensure a smooth process without hurting religious sentiments,” said Jagdish Saha at Geeta Ghat.

Earlier in the day, the final anjali was organised in pandals that was followed by shindoor khela (a ritual in which married women put red coloured powder on each other).