Kanpur, October 14, 2013: The last day of "Durga Puja", the main festival of Bengali community was celebrated with much gaiety and devotion in form of public ceremonies here on Sunday. The four-day event culminated with prize distributions and cultural events.

Special decorations were done in Durga Puja Pandals. 'Maha Navami' Aarti, Sindoor Khela and traditional activities too were the centre of attraction for the devotees who thronged the pandals in large numbers.

The people worshiped Durga idol with tears in their eyes, as on Monday she would be immersed in water. The last day celebrations were also marked with community lunches and Bhandaras at pandals.

The footfall at various Durga Puja Pandals soared from 50,000 to two lakh people this year.

With budgets and crowds going through the roof, this festival being organized at a grand scale with every passing year.

The festival is devoted solely to the Mother Goddess - known as Durga, Bhavani, Amba, Chandika, Gauri, Parvati, Mahishasuramardini - and her other manifestations. The name "Durga" means "inaccessible"and she is the personification of the active side of the divine "shakti" energy of Lord Shiva. Maa Durga represents the furious powers of all male gods, and is the destroyer of the evil.

Sanjay Sarkar, a Bengali Brahmin, associated with the Durga Puja celebrations informed that the earthen idols of Goddess Durga, accompanied with those of Laxmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikya are taken on the tenth day in the form of a procession to river Ganga, where they are ceremonially immersed. This marks the end of the goddess' brief visit to the earth. It is believed that Maa Durga leaves for Mount Kailash, the abode of her husband Shiva, from where she had descended on the earth. The same day, the festival of Dusshera is celebrated, added Sanjay further.

Source: The Times of India, October 14, 2013