All-faith meet heralds Durga Puja in Shillong

Shillong: Lighting of the ceremonial lamp and collective prayer by representatives of all faiths heralded the Durga Puja festivities in cosmopolitan Shillong, marking the 30th get-together of harmony, organised by the Central Puja Committee of Meghalaya on the Hindu Mission premises at Mawprem locality in the city on Wednesday.
“Today, we pray to the Almighty to grace us the capability to maintain honest friendship and trust with each other,” said one organiser after the puja rituals.Pujas in these hills have always been unique in many ways. The festivities are not confined to any particular community or faith, with people from all social backgrounds joining ranks in the cosmopolitan Pine City.
A harmonious blend of all-faith prayers, songs, dances, ecstatic beats of traditional ‘dhak’, and exchange of ideas have lifted the spirit of puja festival in the city here.
“This is a unique annual event held in Shillong, and perhaps, this kind of environment is not to be found anywhere else,” said a puja committee member. “Shillong has always been a harmonious mix of diverse communities and cultures,” said a student.
In fact, the hill state has one of the oldest Durga temples in the country – over 600-year-old Durgabari at Nartiang in the Jaintia Hills – where indigenous people worship the mother goddess.