AGARTALA, Oct 24 (TIWN): Biding emotional farewell to Goddess Durga, devotees along with priest thronged in Durga Bari of Agartala to join hand to have a glance for the last time along with the family of Goddes Durga on Thursday.

As per schedule, the royal priest announced the holy departure of Devi Durga along with her family members in the evening and guard of honour to the Goddess along with her family in the temple premises.

Hundreds of devotees joined hands in carrying the idols amid tight security. The idols of Prabhu Bari, Durga Bari and Khajan Bari were immersed in Howrah Ghat of Agartala with full state honour.

Married women decked in the ritualistic red-and-white sarees marked the event with the customary "Sindoor Khela" or smearing each other and the idols with red vermillion to prepare the goddess and her clan for their long journey home, as dhaaks (traditional drums) played on in the background.

Hundreds of devotees, including the young, joined hands in gently lowering the idols into the river. An element of emptiness at the end of the biggest celebration came to an end, but they consoled themselves shouting "Asche bochor abar hobe"

However, the immersion ceremony symbolises the end of the annual sojourn of Goddess Durga along with her family members in her paternal house and it’s time to her Husband’s Lord Shiva at Mount Kailash.

This is the only puja performed with full state sponsorship under the supervision of the district magistrate as per an agreement the royal family had with the Indian union in 1949.

Durga Bari performed all the religious activities encoded in the agreement with highest degree of Hindu rituals and the state government has been supporting it since beginning.

However, to mark the celebration of Maha Navami, the age old tradition of Buffalo sacrifice was organized on Thursday at Durga Bari.

On Maha Navami Goddess Durga is worshipped as Mahisasuramardini which means the Annihilator of the Buffalo Demon. It is believed that on Maha Navami day Durga killed the demon Mahishasura.

To mark the victory of Goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura, a buffalo is sacrificed in front of Goddess Durga every year at Durga Bari. The Buffalo is sacrifice after proper consignment with the state government.