The Basanti Durga puja in Cuttack city began today and will culminate on April 16-17 midnight with the immersion festival.
Although worship of the Goddess done in the spring season is not of that grand style as during the autumn season, yet at least 17 puja mandaps in the city have invoked Basanti Durga.
Looking at the dry Kathjodi riverbed, the district administration has decided to dig up a pond in the riverbed at Devi Gada for the immersion of the deities.
At a preparatory meeting held here on the day, district collector N C Mishra directed the city civic body and public health department to create the artificial water body immediately.
On account of frequent cases of jaundice reported in the city currently, the district administration has directed all departments concerned to ensure a neat and clean environment around the Devi Gada and the municipality health department has been instructed to regularly inspect the food to be sold there by the vendors.
Similarly, adequate potable water would be placed in tankers at important points of the city for the revellers because of the ongoing heatwave condition, the collector directed.
In order to ensure smooth passage of the tableaus and the accompanying procession, the urban development department has been instructed to suspend its ongoing drainage and sewerage works till April 17 on designated routes under the JICA programme.
The Mahanagar Peace Committee general secretary Bikhari Das attending the meeting urged all puja committees to extend their cooperation to the district administration and city police administration for a peaceful puja celebration.
"Although the Basantika (spring) Durga puja is not observed with elaborate arrangements as that of Sharadiya (autumn) Durga puja, yet we will observe the same with equal fervour in a peaceful manner," Das said.
