BHUBANESWAR: For the residents of Narasinghpur and Parakula, Durga Puja followed by Gajalaxmi Puja, usher in the festivities. Most of the inhabitants of these two Kendrapara villages await eagerly this time of the year sinceidol-making is their main vocation. This year will be an aberration though.First it was the menacing Mahanadi, which threatened to sweep them away, and then came the Baitarani. The second phase of floods, which caused the maximum damage to coastal Orissa, left them in the lurch. “We had begunthe idol-making process when the floodwater surged into our village. All the half-built idols and raw materials have been submerged for last 10 days,” said a resident of Parakula under Marsaghai block.This is not just the tale of Parakula. Hundreds of villagers living on the banks of the Mahanadi, Brahmani and Baitarani have a similar story to tell.The devastating flood, dubbed one of the worst in 30 years, has cast a shadow on the Dussehra celebrations across coastal Orissa. Rendered homeless and living on the embankments, lakhs of families, which are struggling to come to terms with the disaster, have nothing to cheer about as the festivals are just a fewdays away. The Sasthi Puja begins on Sunday.For the people of Jajpur, the worst- affected district, the deluge could not have come at a worse time. Over 7.51 lakh people in 10 blocks are still reeling under the impact of the floods. “The plight of the people is miserable. What has hit them hard is the tardy pace at which floodwater receded,” said a district official.Thousands of families have not been able to return to their homes as water has stagnated in their houses laying waste to all belongings.Chronologically, Dussehra marks the beginning of the year-end festivals. LaxmiPuja, Kali Puja, Diwali and Ganesh Puja make the festive season. While Cuttack celebrates Dussehra with fervour, the rest of coastal Orissa observes Laxmi Puja and Kali Puja with pomp.This time though, Puja Committees of Cuttack City have decided to be austere in their celebration. The Cuttack Mahanagar Puja Committee had already announced a cut-down in expenses so that they could donate a substantial chunk to the CM’s Relief Fund. Political parties too have sworn by austerity. OPCCpresident Niranjan Patnaik has appealed to the people to observe the Puja without any opulence. The flood damage, as per the quick assessment by the State Government, has been estimated at over Rs 3,600 crore.
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