Bhubaneswar: The annual Durga Puja celebrations in Odisha concluded with thousands of devotees saying goodbye to the goddess during grand immersion processions on Friday. The processions in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack started around noon and continued late into the night, transforming major roads into lively avenues filled with lights, firecrackers, music, and dance. A total of 193 community Durga Pujas were held in Bhubaneswar, while 160 took place in Cuttack. Due to restrictions on loud music systems or DJ boxes, many organizers chose traditional instruments and cultural performances.
In Bhubaneswar, cultural organizations 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 conducted immersion processions in groups along four designated routes, according to police reports. Cuttack also experienced large crowds at immersion points like College Chhak, Ranihat, Mangalabag, Buxibazar, Darghabazar, and Choudhury Bazar, where idols were transported to the historic Devigada ghat, which featured a temporary pond created for eco-friendly immersion. To ensure the processions ran smoothly, 122 platoons of police were deployed, with CCTV and drone surveillance, alongside bomb disposal and anti-terror squads.
Traffic restrictions were implemented for the day, and multiple temporary ponds were established to prevent pollution in rivers and water bodies. In Bhubaneswar, five ponds were prepared, although two were damaged by heavy rains. Mayor Sulochana Das stated, “Repairs are being carried out on a war footing, and we are confident they will be ready on time.” For the first time, a 60-member police team named CTC 60 was assigned to monitor sound levels and take action against processions exceeding the 60-decibel limit. Fire Services and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) personnel were also present at immersion sites to avert any incidents, according to officials.