A replica of the district Collector’s Office set up at Appu Ghar in Visakhapatnam on Sunday for celebrating Vijayadasami

Visakhapatnam, October 14, 2013: With the manifestation of goddess Durga in several incarnations the celebrations are also taking novel forms.

The temporal power seems to have met the divine incarnation of the goddess in a spatial set up that resembles the Collectorate.

At Appu Ghar, the auto drivers union has set up a pandal that is a replica of the Collector’s Office. The flexible banner with some touch up resembles the colonial construction with balustrade.

Cultural programme

A colourful cultural programme was presented by women and children consisting of group dance and dandia on Sunday evening at Sri Durga Puja being organised by Utkal Sanskrutika Samaj near All India Radio at Daspalla Hills. It was followed by ‘Annaprasad’.

Traditional “pushpanjali” and “sandhya aarti” are being offered to the goddess everyday. The immersion will take place on Monday evening. Secretary Bijoy Mahapatra and member R. K. Mishra oversaw the arrangements.

With the trend of creating cinema settings for celebrations catching up, a pandal of that style was set up near the Circuit House. Traffic islands were also colourfully decorated with series lighting.

With diverse views on the celebration of Vijayadasami, some organisations conducting Sarannavaratri celebrations have concluded them on Sunday. A few are however continuing till Monday.

More than 1,000 devotees worshipped goddess Durga as ‘Mahishasuramardini’ at the Sri Sathya Sai mandir at MVP Colony.

In the evening, special bhajans were rendered by samithi singers and devotees, and ‘Shodashopachara puja’ was performed.

Special “rupa, deepa, and nakshatra harathi” was offered.

B. Ramgopal, president, Bothra Shipping Company, P.R.S.N. Naidu, convener, Sri Sathya Sai City Seva Samithi, and actor Purnima were among the large number of devotees who participated.

Source: The Hindu, October 14, 2013