Kendrapara: Puja organisers immersed four Durga idols from a boat in the river here in Rajnagar Saturday as per traditions amid the beating of drums, and paid their respects to members of the Kanika royal family.
The century-old tradition that was set by the then king of Kanika is still followed in letter and spirit by the people of Rajnagar.
In Rajnagar, the deities were immersed after boating in the river. The people here are proud of maintaining the traditions set by the King Bhujabala Bhanjadeo, who started deity immersions amid boating.
IIC Sukanta Kumar Patra of Rajnagar police station said this year people worshipped Durga by constructing 19 puja pandals in the Rajnagar Bazaar.
The day after Dussehra, as per tradition, people took the four idols to Hansua river where decorated boats were kept ready. Later, the devotees took the idols in the boats to the middle of the river and immersed them.
Jagannath Das, a local, said the deities enjoyed boating in the crocodile filled Hansua river.
Jairam Sethy, a member of the Bana Durga Puja Committee, said King Bhujabala Bhanjadeo had started worshipping Durga by putting up an earthen idol 200 years back in Rajnagar to protect the area from nature’s fury and epidemics.
After worshipping the deity from Mahasasthi to Dussehra, the King used to immerse the deity in the Hansua river.
The practice of boating before immersion, started by the king, later became a tradition in Rajnagar.
Every year, people here organise boating in Hansua river before immersing the Durga idol to honour the Kanika King.
Later, Maa Sarala idol kept at the Binapani Market, Machha Market’s Ganga Mata idol and Galidanda’s Bana Durga idol also join the ceremony, said Pravat Mishra, secretary of Rajnagar Durga Puja Committee.
The police had made arrangements Saturday to ensure the immersion of idols was carried out without problems. Fire services personnel and fishermen were also deployed at the site.
Thousands of people stood on both sides of the river to witness the boating of the deities.
PNN