Bengal observes ''Bijoya Dasami''

Kolkata, Oct 2 (UNI) Bengal bid a tearful adieu to goddess Durga as the four-day Puja festivities came to an end with 'Bijoya Dasami' today.

As per custom the idols of Goddess Durga along with those of Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya will be immersed with much fanfare later in the day.

Special pujas were held as the day progressed. Married women smeared vermilion on each other after praying for the well being of their families. Sweets changed hands as friends and relatives wished 'Shubho Bijoya' to each other.

Idols in some of the old households of north Kolkata, which observed the pujas in the traditional way, were already being immersed.

''The 'ekchala' (single backdrop) idols in most of the traditional households would be immersed by this evening,'' police said.

Most big budget and theme pujas, however, might delay the immersion by a day to enable revellers one more day of the festivity, marred by occasional bouts of rains.

Even as more than half the state was reeling under flood, Kolkata had virtually turned into an island of joy with people from all walks of life hopping pandals during the four-day jamboree.

With a massive security being arranged everywhere, no unwanted incidents has been reported so far.

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