Goddess Durga idols immersed in artificial ponds after Sindoor Khela
OVER 90 DURGA IDOLS WERE IMMERSED IN THE ARTIFICIAL PONDS DUG BY THE LMC
LUCKNOW : Idols of Goddess Durga were immersed in artificial ponds and pits on the banks of the Gomti amid “Durga Mai Ki Jai” slogans in Lucknow on Friday for the third consecutive year to save the river from further pollution.
Two prominent puja organisers, Bengali Club and Ramakrishna Math, immersed idols on their own premises. While Bengali Club immersed the idol in a pit on its campus adjacent to Durga mandap amid beating of “dhaak” (drum) and dance by devotees, Ramakrishna Math did so at its orchard in the Gosaiganj area.
“In the wake of the pandemic and to maintain social distancing during the immersion, we decided to immerse Durga idol on our campus,” said Arun Banerjee, president, Bengali Club.
In all, over 90 Durga idols were immersed in the artificial ponds dug by Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) and the district administration on Friday. The LMC staff were present at Lakshman Mela Park, Jhule Lal Vatika and Kudia Ghat where the idols were immersed, said municipal commissioner Ajay Dwivedi. He thanked the Durga puja committees and individuals who turned up for immersion of the idols in an eco-friendly way. The immersion was allowed in the presence of the police.
Earlier in the day, married women applied vermillion to the goddess before bidding her adieu, in a ritual called Sindoor Khela at different puja mandaps.
They later applied the same vermillion on one another, praying for healthy and prolonged life of their spouses.