The last day of the 10 day long Durga Pooja festival culminates with the immersion of the Durga murti, following a grand procession. In West Bengal, Assam and Odisha, Durga Pooja is celebrated for five days through the nine day long Navaratri, and the last day is known as `Vijayadashami` or Durga Visarjan.
Accordingly a teary farewell follows every year, when the decorated idol of Maa Durga along with idols of her children Ganesh, Kartikeya, Lakshmi and Saraswati, are immersed in a river or a lake so that she can unite with Lord Shiva in the Himalayas. Meanwhile people dance and shout `Bolo Durga Mai Ki Jai` during the procession that ends with 'visarjan'. With a heavy heart people bid farewell to Maa Durga and this is quite an overwhelming experience for any onlooker.
The entire city that stands together during the festive occasion is suddenly ripped off of all the decorations and the grand show that it puts up prior to the visarjan. The feeling is similar when a daughter leaves her native home, post marriage and the atmosphere suddenly transforms to one that of gloom. Devotees give Durga Maa a final farewell with the hope that she will return next year and bless her followers.
