Kendrapada: Defying changing times and improved road connectivity, villagers in Rajnagar of Odisha’s Kendrapada district have kept alive an age-old tradition of bidding farewell to Goddess Durga through colourful boat processions on the Hansua river, with around 20 idols taken along the water route for immersion.
The distinctive ceremony on Thursday saw decorated boats carrying the idols along a 6 km stretch of the river, accompanied by priests, boatmen and devotees.
Hundreds of villagers gathered along the riverbanks and at the ghats to offer coconuts and garlands to the departing deities, while crowds thronged a bridge to witness the ritual.
The tradition dates back to a time when rivers and creeks served as vital links between villages in Rajnagar, where the absence of bridges often forced puja committees to transport idols by boat during immersion.
“Though the area is now well connected by roads and bridges, villagers continue to worship Maa Durga on boats on immersion day to preserve their age-old tradition,” said Narendra Mishra, a priest at the Ma Durga temple in Rajnagar.
In earlier years, devotees would even swim across the river to reach the boats and offer prayers. Such practices have been prohibited for nearly two decades because the Hansua is inhabited by saltwater crocodiles and is connected to the waterways of Bhitarkanika National Park, which shelters more than 1,800 crocodiles, said Bipin Panda, a puja committee president.
Police and Fire Services personnel were deployed to ensure the safe conduct of the immersion procession, Rajnagar police station inspector-in-charge Ratiranjan Nayak said.