Kotpad,Oct 22 [UDN}: The Dussehra festival concluded with great pomp and enthusiasm in Kotpad town on Tuesday, with the Ravana Dahan ceremony emerging as one of the major highlights of the celebrations.
Kotpad MLA Rupu Bhatra remained present throughout the festivities, from the traditional Lathi Neba ritual to the Ravana Dahan ceremony, and enjoyed the spectacular event alongside the local people. Rameswar Jena, the MP’s representative, was also present with the MLA. Binayak Acharya, the MLA’s representative, stayed until the conclusion of the programme, extending his support to the organising committee and helping ensure the smooth conduct of the celebrations.
Dussehra celebrations in Kotpad were successfully organised under the leadership of committee president Sunil Tripathy and secretary Bikash Patnaik, who played key roles in coordinating the various programmes and making the festival a grand success.
This year’s festivities were considered more impressive and elaborate than those of previous years. The scale and quality of the cultural programmes attracted widespread appreciation, with some events drawing comparisons with the grand celebrations organised in major cities such as Bhubaneswar and Berhampur.
Traditional Desia dance-drama performances, in particular, drew hundreds of spectators from Kotpad and surrounding areas. The massive gathering of people transformed the town into a vibrant cultural hub, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of Berhampur during its major festive celebrations.
Apart from the main celebrations, Durga Puja was also organised with great enthusiasm in four localities — Bahar Gad Sahi, Kenduguda, Mahanti Sahi and Dulapur Sahi. Idols of Goddess Durga were worshipped with elaborate arrangements and traditional rituals, adding to the festive spirit across the town.
According to the schedule, the immersion of all the Durga idols is set to take place on Thursday, October 22, bringing the celebrations to their formal conclusion.
The grand Dussehra festivities once again highlighted Kotpad’s rich cultural traditions, community participation and enthusiasm for preserving local art forms, particularly the region’s traditional Desia performances.
Leave a Reply