Maha Saptami Puja was marked with thousands thronging several Durga Puja pandals in the State capital on Saturday.
Devotees were seen attending the morning puja at Bangali library, Karanpur, Raipur Ordinance Factory, Dharampur, Rajpur and Kanwali Road across the city.
Moreover, a large number of people attended aarti during the evening hours at the same venues. All the puja venues are brightly illuminated. Cultural programmes involving the locals of the places, particularly the children, are being held in the evenings.
The puja committee members have set up food stalls and other stalls to draw crowds during the evening hours.
Police have made elaborate security arrangements in consultation with the puja committees to ensure that no untoward incident happens during the four-day puja festivities.
The puja being held at Kalandi Park in Kanwali by Doon Valley Durga Seva Samiti is drawing crowds particularly because of the cultural programmes lined up to mark the occasion. A puja committee member Dharm Sonkar said that the puja had been started with launching nava patrika in the morning. Children are participating in the cultural programmes, he said.
The Raipur Ordinance factory Durga Puja Committee president SK Ukil said that thousands are thronging the puja being held with utmost devotion. He said that the puja of the day had begun with the “Adhivash”(Pran Pratishtha) and “Chakshu Daan” of the Devi. This was followed by the Maha Saptami Puja, pushpaanjali and bhog during the day.
The puja revellers were exulted seeing the intricate and gaudy decorations of the pandals inspired by those of Bengal. Many children were seen staging drams and dances, things that left the visitors enthralled.