Bhubaneswar, Oct 3: The streets of Odisha burst into a riot of colours, sounds, and celebration on Friday as the grand farewell to Goddess Durga marked the end of this year’s Durga Puja festivities. With dazzling processions, rhythmic beats of traditional drums, and thousands of devotees dancing their way through the cities, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack turned into vibrant hubs of devotion and cultural splendour, bidding an emotional goodbye to the goddess until next year.
The immersion rituals began around noon and continued late into the night, turning major roads into lively scenes filled with lights, music, firecrackers, and traditional dance.
This year, Bhubaneswar hosted 193 community Durga Pujas, while Cuttack saw 160 such celebrations. In compliance with restrictions on loud music and DJ systems, many organisers embraced traditional instruments and cultural performances to maintain the festive spirit.
In Bhubaneswar, the processions were organised by cultural groups such as the Bhubaneswar Bhasani Utsav Committee (Saheed Nagar), Rajdhani Mandir Suraksha Bhasani Committee (Nayapalli), Uttar Bhubaneswar Bhasani Committee (Chandrasekharpur), and Old Town Bhasani Committees. These processions followed four designated routes under the supervision of the police.
Cuttack also witnessed massive turnouts at key immersion points including College Chhak, Ranihat, Mangalabag, Buxibazar, Darghabazar, and Choudhury Bazar. Idols were taken to the historic Devigada ghat, where a temporary pond had been set up to enable eco-friendly immersion.
To ensure smooth proceedings, the state deployed 122 platoons of police, along with CCTV and drone surveillance. Bomb disposal units and anti-terror squads were also on standby. Traffic restrictions were enforced throughout the day to manage the crowd and movement.
To prevent pollution of natural water bodies, the administration created several temporary immersion ponds. In Bhubaneswar alone, five ponds were constructed.
Tags: prameyanews Durga Puja Bhubaneswar DUrga Puja event Dussehra 2025
