Visarjan Drownings, 'Burning Raavan' Falls on People, Owner of 'Gandhi Pandal Assaulted': Accidents Mar Durga Puja, Dussehra Festivities

The five-day-long Durga Puja festival in West Bengal came to a close on Wednesday with the immersion of idols on ‘Vijayadashami’ at various river ghats across the state. However, the festivities were also marred by accidents.

Durga Puja Organiser with ‘Gandhi’ Pandal ‘Assaulted’

Chandrachur Goswami, the principal organiser of the Durga Puja conducted by the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha at Kasba in South Kolkata, filed a complaint with the police on Wednesday claiming that he was assaulted by three unknown persons in front of the pandal. The said Durga Puja had triggered a controversy as the Mahishasura idol there resembled Mahatma Gandhi, with shaved head and a spectacle.

Goswami claimed that on Wednesday afternoon, three persons entered the pandal and started clicking pictures. “Besides clicking pictures of the idol, they were also taking photographs of the surroundings inside the pandal. I became curious and asked them about the subject about their pictures. In reply, they physically assaulted me and left the scene. One of them even claimed to be a central government official. I have lodged a complaint with the local police station. I expect the police to take immediate action,” Goswami told mediapersons.

Freak Weather Incidents & Deaths

Sporadic rain in many parts of Odisha including twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack has dampened the festive spirit of Durga Puja in the state. Under the influence of a low pressure area formed over Bay of Bengal, heavy rainfall occurred in many places of Odisha. Due to continuous downpour, the puja pandals, there were expecting heavy crowds, witnessed a poor footfall on Navami. People preferred to remain indoors for the heavy rain.

There were also reports that rainfall affected puja pandals at Dhamana square in Bhubaneswar, Athagarh in Cuttack district and Vyasanagar in Jajpur district. However, people started visiting the puja pandals in Bhubaneswar city in the late evening when the rain stopped.

Meanwhile, at least eight people drowned and several others went missing after they were swept away in the Mal river due to flash floods during idol immersion on Vijayadashami here, a senior official said. Four of the dead are women. The incident took place around 8.30 pm on Wednesday when hundreds of people gathered on the banks of the Mal river to participate in the immersion ceremony. Read more on the freak weather incident

In Uttar Pradesh’s Agra, a 15-year-old boy and two youths, ages 19 and 22, drowned in the Yamuna river during Durga idol immersion. According to officials, no one was found during the rescue operation, which lasted until late evening.

A similar tragic incident occurred on Wednesday in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district, reports said, when six people drowned in a ditch filled with rainwater during the immersion of a Goddess Durga idol. According to news reports, all six bodies were recovered during a rescue operation and will be returned to family members after autopsies. “The ditch where the incident occurred is frequently used by locals for idol immersion,” Ajmer Superintendent of Police Chuna Ram Jat told PTI. “The deceased went down thinking it was a shallow ditch, but it was deep, and they all drowned,” he explained.

Child Dies During Goat Sacrifice

On Tuesday, a 3-year-old child died in an accident during Durga Puja in the Ghaghra area of Jharkhand’s Gumla district. During the public sacrifice for Durga Puja, a sharp blade struck a three-year-old boy, seriously injuring him. The child was taken to Ghaghra Community Health Centre right away, but he died on the way. The deceased has been identified as Vimal Oraon, Deepak Oraon’s son, ETV Bharat reported.

According to the report, the tradition of sacrificing goats during Durga Puja in the village was carried out this year as well. Already, two goats had been sacrificed. However, when the third goat was about to be slaughtered, it resisted, and the sharp blade struck a 3-year-old boy in the crowd. The boy was rushed to the hospital right away, but he died on the way.

Burning Raavan Effigy Falls on People in Haryana

Several people had a narrow escape during a Dussehra event in Haryana’s Yamunanagar on Wednesday when a burning effigy of Ravana fell while they were trying to go near it. Police said no one was injured in the incident. Yamunanagar Superintendent of Police Mohit Handa said some people were trying to go near the burning effigy but police personnel present there pushed them back. Asked whether the effigy fell on any of the spectators, the SP said it did not.

It may appear that the burning effigy fell on some people but it was not the case, said the SP while referring to a video clip of the incident doing the rounds on social media. “We have checked in hospitals and police personnel were also present on the spot. There was no injury to anyone,” he said. Effigies of demon king Ravana, his son Meghnad and brother Kumbhakaran are set on fire on the occasion of Dussehra to celebrate the victory of good over evil.

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