Silchar, Oct 21: Amid the rhythmic beats of the dhaak, vibrant celebrations and emotional farewells, Silchar bid adieu to Goddess Durga on Wednesday as the five-day Durga Puja festivities concluded with the ceremonial immersion of idols at Sadarghat, the city’s principal immersion venue.
Women participated in the traditional sindoor khela, smearing vermilion on one another’s cheeks and foreheads, while hundreds of devotees accompanied the idols with dancing, music and chants. The familiar chant, “Aasche bochor abar hobe” (she will return next year), echoed through the streets as devotees prepared to wait another year for the Goddess’s arrival.
The immersion marked the culmination of days of worship and festivities that brought communities together across Silchar. While the celebrations were filled with colour and enthusiasm, the farewell also carried an emotional undertone as devotees offered their final prayers and sought the Goddess’s blessings before her departure.
An official of the Silchar Municipal Corporation said the immersion process began at 7 am under tight security arrangements. By the time this report was filed, around 20 idols, mostly from household pujas, had been immersed.
Cachar Senior Superintendent of Police Partha Protim Das said the Durga Puja festivities had passed largely peacefully, crediting residents and puja committees for their cooperation in maintaining law and order.
“There was a sea of devotees at some key pandals of the district, but with cooperation from the people and also members of different puja committees, the law-and-order situation was maintained and people enjoyed the Puja days peacefully,” Das told The Assam Tribune, while extending his greetings to the people of Cachar and Assam.
On the immersion arrangements, Das said a detailed security plan had been put in place at Sadarghat, with the process scheduled to continue on Thursday as well.
Police personnel, along with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), were deployed to prevent any untoward incidents and ensure the smooth movement of idols and devotees.
To regulate crowds and maintain order, restrictions were also imposed on sound systems along the route to the immersion ghat. Large sound systems would not be allowed beyond the Khudiram statue through the Deputy Commissioner’s office enclave towards Sadarghat.
Devotees could accompany the idols with traditional dhaak, while only a limited number of people would be permitted at the ghat with each idol.
Police personnel and municipal officials were stationed to assist with crowd management and ensure that the immersion proceeded in an orderly manner.