Bengali women participate in ‘Sindoor Khela’ on the last day of Durga Puja festival celebrations, in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G
Hyderabad bid farewell to the enchanting festivities of Durga Puja with a splendid immersion carnival at Hussainsagar Lake on Tuesday evening. Devotees from all corners of the city gathered to immerse the idols, which had graced the city during the ten-day celebration.
Bengali associations representing diverse sections of the city made a collective choice in selecting Hussainsagar lake for the immersion. Their preference for this water body over artificial ponds was largely attributed to the eco-friendly nature of the clay idols they had installed at the pandals.
The immersion rituals commenced on Tuesday, following the final Vijaya Dashami puja performed on the idols. Hyderabad, home to approximately six lakh Bengali residents, boasts about 40 associations that contribute to the installation of these idols. The Hyderabad Bangalee Samity, one of the city’s oldest associations, conducted its final puja around 6 p.m. and embarked on procession to the lake at approximately 8 p.m. Given the proximity of their pandal from NTR Garden to Hussainsagar, it took roughly an hour to reach the lake and immerse the idol, said Biswajit Mukherjee, the Joint Secretary of the association.
Associations situated farther from the city centre, such as the Kompally Suchitra Bengali Cultural Committee, began their procession earlier in the day. Having established their pandal near Suchitra Junction, they too chose Hussainsagar lake for immersion. Mr. Subyendu, a committee member, confirmed that their idol procession started at around 5 p.m., and they reached the lake at approximately 8.30 p.m.
Subhro Mukherjee from the Cyberabad Bangali Association stated that their idol was crafted from environmentally friendly materials, affirming the associations commitment to eco-conscious celebrations. Thus, they also opted for Hussainsagar Lake as the venue for their immersion ceremony.
While a significant portion of the crowd flocked to Tank Bund for immersion, a few associations, like the Prabashi Socio Cultural Association, chose to immerse their idol at Bachupally Lake. Anirban Guha, the General Secretary of the association, revealed that they had coordinated with the police, sharing their procession route map ahead of the immersion. The proximity of Bachupally Lake made it a convenient and environmentally conscious choice, differentiating it from the more popular Hussainsagar.
