Feast of faith: Cuttack bids adieu to Durga with soothing ‘dahi pakhala’ | Bhubaneswar News

Cuttack: While glittering chandi medhas and grand idols drew crowds over the five days of Durga Puja, Vijay Dashami was all about humble Odia meals and community bonding on Wednesday.

Across several puja mandaps, committees prepared quintals of ‘dahi pakhala’, ‘saga tarkari’, ‘chanka’ and other vegetable dishes as offerings to Maa Durga, before distributing them among thousands of devotees.At Chauliaganj, the puja committee prepared ‘dahi pakhala’ and ‘chanka tarkari’, a mixed-vegetable dish, for nearly 10,000 devotees. Committee head Debendra Patra said devotees believe the cooling meal was offered to the Goddess to calm her after she slayed demon Mahishasura. “The tradition at our puja committee began in 2005 and has continued uninterrupted since then,” Patra said, adding that the offering was the last major ritual before the deity was taken out for ‘bhasani’ (immersion).Similar arrangements were made at other popular puja mandaps in Khannagar, Bajrakabati, Ranihat and Choudhury Bazaar.At Choudhury Bazaar, one of the city’s historic puja venues, around 30 quintals of vegetables and leafy greens were used to prepare the curry served with ‘dahi pakhala’.“The appeal of the meal lies in its simplicity. ‘Dahi pakhala’ is a familiar food in Odia households, and offering it to the Goddess on Dashami is considered auspicious,” said puja committee president Debasish Ray.Ray added that in Cuttack, which is known for its silver filigree craftsmanship, the Dashami feast is a reminder that the spirit of Durga Puja lies not only in the spectacle of worship but also in the tradition of sharing food with everyone.At Ranihat, organisers said they served nearly 15,000 devotees from across Cuttack bhog. Close to 20 quintals of food were prepared.“Anyone who walked into our pandal was served ‘pakhala’ and ‘saga tarkari’, a traditional Odia preparation made with leafy greens, pulses and other vegetables. People ate here and also took back some home,” said organiser Bijaya Sahoo.Behind the large-scale feast was considerable preparation, from procuring rice, curd and vegetables to organising cooking and distribution. For some, the ritual had become a lifelong commitment. Milan Rout, who has been preparing the bhog at the Ranihat puja mandap for nearly three decades, said they began preparations at least a day before Dashami.