KANGPOKPI, Oct.23: The ten daylong Navratri, an annually held festivity in honour of Hindu Goddess Durga, at Christian dominated Kangpokpi town concluded here today amidst bandh and blockade along the Trans Asian Highway in the area.
The biggest religious events for the Bengali Hindu, Durga Puja, began on October 14 here at Kangpokpi, enjoyably marked by celebrations involving prayer, fasting, music, and dance among men and women particularly of the Hindu community residing in the town.
The lively and euphoric festival of Durga Puja has been celebrated as per the auspicious Hindu religious calendar, which usually coincides with time between the months September to November, as per the Gregorian calendar.
The ten- day festivities of Durga Puja endow with one and all with a prospect to spread festive cheer and wish their loved ones peace as well as prosperity in the town.
The Durga Puja carousing at the town is not limited to elaborate rituals, but extends to various cultural, music and dance performances given by armature as well as professional artists during the revelry.
The devotional celebration, which honors the divine Goddess Durga in the Christian dominated Kangpokpi town has also been marked with devotees visiting the two Mandir at Kangpokpi bazaar and IT. Road in large numbers and make offerings to the goddess in the form of `Pushpanjali`, Aarti and `Bhog`.
Devotees at Durga Mandir in Kangpokpi and Krishna Mandir in IT. Road offer different kinds of bhogs (sanctified food items) along with special puja rituals where a priest on behalf of the entire community performs rituals.
Om Prakash, a priest in Durga Mandir at Kangpokpi said that the real and core essence of the festival remain the religious values and teachings that have been passed down from one generation to another in the Hindu households and communities.
He continued that Durga is ascribed as the destroyer of evil and Hindus believe that the goddess symbolizes power and the triumph of good over evil.
He further said that a demon named Mahishasura was able to take a boon from Lord Brahma that no male human, deity or demon could kill him.
Thus, thinking of himself as invincible, he became drunk with power, transformed into a mighty buffalo demon, and started wreaking havoc on earth, the priest continued before adding that he killed many innocent people, followed by setting his eyes on the heavens and destroying the God`s as well.
It was then that all the three principle deities Lord Vishnu, Lord Shankar and Lord Brahma, along with other deities, combined their energies, and gave birth to Goddess Durga, Om Prakash narrated adding that each ten hands of Durga represent the powers she has and with them, she vanquished the demon and came to be known as Mahishasura mardini.
Setting an example of communal harmony, Kangpokpi Town Committee Chairman Chonkam Kipgen asserted that, “we are against all kinds of communal or cast conflict and in religious festivities we do not make any communal or religious division in the town”.
On the final day of ten-day long festival, the devotees bid teary-eyed farewell to the Goddess and her children, as it is believed that they leave for their heavenly abode.
The devotees at Kangpokpi submerged the idols in the Imphal river amidst the resonating sound of dhak to symbolize their departure.