IMMERSON OF IDOLS OF MAA DURGA MARKS END OF SHARADIYA NAVRATRA

IMMERSON OF IDOLS OF MAA DURGA MARKS END OF SHARADIYA NAVRATRA

25-OCT-ENG 1

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA--------------------------With immersion of idols of Maa Durga, a 10 day celebration of Sharadiya Navratra came to an end amidst violation of guidelines of Bhojpur district administration.

Bhojpur SP Pramod Kumar Yadav had issued guidelines for the immersion of idols of Maa Durga on October 25, 2023 and requested all the presidents of Puja Committees to abide by the guidelines. He said that playing of Disk Jockey (DJ) during immersion procession is completely banned so that people can hear the announcement by the district administration clearly and immersion can be performed peacefully. Legal action will be taken against playing of vulgar songs and announcement of caste based or provocative speech, playing of only devotional songs are allowed. Elderly persons and children should be kept aloof from the immersion procession. The immersion should be completed in between 10am to 5pm. It is also directed to ensure presence of magistrates and police force with the immersion procession. If idols and pandals are installed at remote areas without informing the district administration, the Puja Committees at once informed their nearest police station at once. The Puja Committee volunteers are directed to establish coordination with the police in managing immersion procession. It is also directed to follow the direction of the Bhojpur district administration strictly and go to immersion one by one so that any untoward incident could be avoided. Exhibition of arms during immersion procession strictly prohibited. But almost all the guidelines were violated. The immersion procession was taken out only in the evening playing the DJ at high pitch and elderly persons and even the children were seen in the procession. Though some police personnel were seen in the procession but magistrates were almost absent.

On the other hand, the Puja Committees are worried about the immersion of idols as almost all the ghats are in pitiable condition. The Ara has no facility for immersion and so the immersion of idols is to take place in the river Sone or Ganga but due to indiscriminate digging of sand, the river Sone has become dangerous and any untoward incident may take anytime though the Bhojplur district administration has made elaborate security arrangement at the immersion gahts to avoid any incident. Besides, drain water is pumped into the river where the immersion is to take place.

The Sharadiya Navratra started with the installation of ‘Kalash’ on October 15, 2023 and continued till October 24, 2023. In fact, the idols of Maa Durga are immersed on Dussehara all over the country but in Bhojpur district the immersion takes place the next day of Dussehara.

A festive mood griped the Bhojpur district as people worshipped all the nine forms of Goddess Durga either at their homes or at Pandals or different temples with religious enthusiasm, purity, dedication and zest. The traditional drummers beat their tastefully decorated instrument heralding the advent of eagerly awaited Durga Puja festival from October 15, 2023. Puja Committees made elaborate arrangements for welcoming Goddess Durga symbol of valour and strength. Artisans from different parts of Bhojpur district and also from Kolkata delivered images of the Goddess Durga depicting its different forms as described in the scripture. Devotees including men, women and children lined up at different important temples including Aranaya Devi Temple. At different places, puja pandals and residential houses of individual devotees, priests recitated Shri Durga Saptashati. But the Ara Municipal Corporation (AMC) failed to rise to the occasion this year too once again and filth and garbage were seen scattered hither and thither. The roads in Ara town remained swarmed with youth and old alike particularly young girls and women with heavy facial make-up and dressed in colourful clothes.

Tastefully decorated and massive pandals with series bulbs, festoons and coloured tubes, resembling magnificent temples and palatial structures, beautiful statues of Goddess Durga and her progenies, symbol of victory of truth over evil, chanting of Vedic mantras high-powered illumination marked the celebration. Beautiful arch patterns, colourful rolex and LED lights decked up the paths leading to the pandals. Ara was virtually turned into a fairyland. Add to all these, the mad rush of devotees to the pandals added to the glamour. Villagers poured in in large numbers to have a glance of the idols.

Shopkeepers of roadside eateries laughed all the way to the bank as people literally queued up for savouring the delicacies on their menu that included chowmeain, momo, chaat, samosa, litti-chokha and desserts and they did rousing business this year.