Mahalaya-Durga Puja in Silchar 2013
Much before sunrise, the loudspeakers at different puja pandals blared out devotional hymns of Chandi, the men, women and children flocked to the streets and moved towards the Sadharghat bridge over river Barak, sweetshops flung open their shutters, and balloon-sellers come with the colourful inflated spheres fluttering in the air.
This was the scenario of the town this morning which celebrated the eve of Mahalaya, a new moon day that begins the seven-day countdown to Mahasaptami, the first day of the Durga Puja, in a befitting and customary manner. Mahalaya is the last day of Pitripaksha, a 16 days lunar period, and the beginning of Devipaksha.
Hundreds of people today performed Tarpan, the ritual commemorating and honouring the deceased members of the family, by offering tributes on different water bodies including the river Barak from early in the morning.
As the weather of today’s morning was pleasant with the interplay of fog, cloud and sun, the town witnessed a large turn out of people. To go to Sadharghat bridge over river Barak in the morning is one of the ways to celebrate Mahalaya here. Men, women and children of all ages marched to the bridge from the crack of dawn.
The different organizations held cultural programmes to mark the holiest day. Uttamasha Art Foundation, a socio-cultural organization, staged a dance drama, Mahisasura Mardini involving more than 30 artists in the premises of Dak Banglow. The show started at 4 am with the heralding of all time famous Mahisasura Mardini broadcast from All India Radio. The Mahisasura Mardini has been broadcast by All India Radio since 1930 which continues to stir the hearts of millions across the country for the exceptional narration of the story from Chandi by Birendra Krishna Bhadra. The fusion of devotional songs with the narration of the story gives added finesse to it. And Mahisasur Mardini today becomes a synonymous with Durga puja.
The Itkhola Durga Puja Committee took out an impressive rally with the message of peace, tranquillity, communal harmony and brotherhood among the people of the society. The Committee is celebrating its centenary year of the puja. Members of Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangha also took out a march past which moved through the main thoroughfares of the town. The Youth Congress of Cachar district committee served tea with biscuits to the people in the morning.
The security was foolproof to avoid any untoward incident. The additional Deputy Commissioner of Cachar, Debasish Chakraborty, was present at the Sadharghat point.
It is believed that on the day of Mahalaya, Goddess Durga is invited to her parental home. The eyes of the idols of Durga are also painted on this auspicious day to mark the descent of the Goddess to the Earth and to breathing of life into the idols. Source: The Sentinel
