Jamshedpur bids farewell to ‘Ma Durga’ amid grandeur and devotion

Jamshedpur: The city, resplendent with festive fervor for four days, bid an emotional farewell to Goddess Durga as the immersion of idols marked the end of Durga Puja celebrations on Thursday.

The annual festival, which unites communities in devotion and celebration, concluded with chants of “Asche bochor abar hobe” (See you again next year), echoing across the riverbanks of Jamshedpur.

This year, over 340 idols were immersed at 12 designated ghats across the district, with the Subernarekha riverbanks witnessing the maximum—123 immersions—followed closely by the Kharkai and other ghats.

Despite the mammoth gatherings, the immersion ceremonies were conducted peacefully, thanks to meticulous preparations by the administration.

To ensure peaceful celebrations, a total of 81 magistrates have been deployed across the district.

These include nine super zonal magistrates, 34 zonal magistrates, and 39 magistrates. Matching their deployment, nine super zonal police officers, 34 zonal police officers, and 39 police officers will also be on duty, supported by a large contingent of police personnel.

Sensitive points were manned with additional forces, and rescue launches were stationed at riverbanks as precautionary measures.

No untoward incident was reported, marking yet another successful year of safe celebrations.

The farewell to Maa Durga was an emotional affair. Idols were carried from brightly decorated pandals in grand processions, accompanied by drum beats, conch shells, and loud chants of “Durga Mai Ki Jai.”

Married women, draped in red-bordered sarees, performed the traditional Sindoor Khela ritual earlier in the day—smearing vermilion on the idol of the goddess and on each other, praying for the well-being of their families and the long lives of their husbands.

Throughout the festival, pandals across the city dazzled with lights, themes, and creativity. Thousands thronged major crowd-pullers such as the Jay Ram Sporting Club in Adityapur and the Thakur Pyara Singh Dharundhar Singh Puja in Kashidih, where long queues for darshan reflected the unifying power of the festival.

The streets of Jamshedpur brimmed with energy as people of all ages came out to celebrate, shop, and participate in the rituals.

As the last of the idols dissolved in the river currents, the festive mood shifted to another tradition at Sonari.

The Ram Mandir Ravan Dahan Samity organized the burning of a towering effigy of Ravana at the Ram Mandir grounds.

This ritual, celebrated since 1958, once again drew huge crowds, who cheered the symbolic triumph of good over evil.

The seamless organization, spirited participation, and devotional atmosphere together showcased Jamshedpur’s ability to uphold its age-old traditions with modern-day efficiency.

As the idols were immersed and the flames of Ravana’s effigy lit up the night sky, the city reaffirmed its collective spirit—rooted in faith, culture, and unity.

Strict vigil on festivities from Control Room

Jamshedpur: On the auspicious occasion of Mahanavami, the East Singhbhum district administration turned its focus to the Composite Control Room at Sakchi Police Station, which served as the nerve centre for monitoring Jamshedpur’s law and order and traffic arrangements.

Deputy Commissioner Karn Satyarthi personally reviewed security and traffic management from the control room, keeping a close watch on the city’s movement through CCTV cameras installed at major roads, intersections, and near popular puja pandals. The real-time surveillance allowed officials to track crowd movement, regulate traffic, and ensure quick response to any potential situation.

The DC directed officials to maintain 24-hour surveillance and ensure coordination between local police stations, mobile patrols, static pickets, and magistrates. He stressed the importance of proactive monitoring to keep traffic smooth and avoid inconvenience to devotees rushing for darshan. “Our priority is to ensure that every devotee can participate in the celebrations peacefully and without difficulty,” he stated.