Monday, October 10 2005 15:45 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Guwahati: The three-day Durga Puja festivities began here today (Oct 10, 2005) amidst the beating of the dhaks (drum) and devotees thronging pandals dotting the cityscape.

More than 300 community pujas are being held here while there are several others organised privately in homes.

A highlight of the celebrations this year are illuminations with themes ranging from Rongmon, the symbol of the National Games scheduled to be held here next year, giant-sized Mahisashura, depiction of the seasons, training of security personnel, the 9/11 attack, the sinking of the Titanic and other contemporary themes.

Navratri Pujas are being held in the famed Kamakhya Temple, the seat of Shakti tradition, with devotees from various parts of the country flocking to it.

The temple precincts are closed to the common devotees early in the day when temple priests, sadhus and yogis hold special prayers to invoke the Goddess.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made by the police to ensure an incident-free Puja this year, while traffic arrangements have been streamlined, official sources said here.

The oldest family puja organised here is by the Barua family at their home on the riverside in Uzanbazar. The tradition was started by two brothers Durga Prasad Barua and Kali Prasad Barua during the reign of Ahom ruler Kandapeshwar Singha in the 19th century and their descendants have still kept the heritage alive.