A devotee prays for the fulfilment of her wishes Pictures by Jai Prakash and Sachin

Patna, Oct. 4: The morning was hot. The festive spirit was warm. The afternoon was rainy. Yet the revellers were upbeat. The evening was cool. So were the pandal-hoppers.

The city residents spent the Mahashtami in style — offering puja in the morning, relishing bhog in the afternoon and visiting pandals in the evening. The heat of the morning, the rain in the afternoon and cool breeze in the evening hardly had any impact on the spirit of celebration.

Amid dhak beats, people started thronging the Puja pandals from early morning to offer prayers. Long queues of devotees were also seen at Badi Patan Devi and Chhoti Patan Devi temples — famous Shakti Peeths — as early as 4am.

Rachna Devi, a resident of Patna City area standing in a queue at Badi Patan Devi Mandir (temple), said: “I am standing in the queue since 9am. It is 12noon, but I am yet to offer puja.”

Special prayers were offered at Maroofganj and Maharajganj temples where Bengali traditions of Durga Puja are followed. The Durga Puja at Maroofganj and Maharajganj temples were started around 100 years ago by traders of the area to seek divine blessings of Ma Durga.

As Maroofganj used to be the biggest market of spices and dry fruits, traders from far-off places, including Bengal and Orissa, used to visit it for business. Over the years the Puja at Maroofganj and Mahrajganj temples started getting Bengali touch with priest from Bengal offering puja.

Some revellers flocked Puja pandals to watch Kumari Puja, wherein a young girl is worshipped.

According to Somnath Pathak, a priest performing puja at a pandal at Boring Road roundabout, Kumari Puja was started to establish the value of women in the society. Pathak said: “In Kumari Puja, young girls who are considered to be the living incarnation of Goddess Durga are worshipped.”

Besides Kumari Puja, pushpanjali (offering prayer with flowers) was another star attraction on Mahashtami morning. Devotees thronged different pandals to take part in the most popular ritual of Durga Puja.

Rituals over, revellers enjoyed sumptuous bhog in the afternoon.

Rajesh Kumar, the secretary of the Durga Puja committee at Boring Road roundabout, said: “Special bhogs, including sweets and five types of fruits, were distributed among devotees today. In the evening, kheer (a sweet dish) would be offered to revellers as bhog.”

After a short siesta post-bhog, most of the revellers indulged in pandal-hopping in the evening.

The replica of Belur Math Ramkrishna Mission Ashram in Bengal erected by the Boring Road Puja committee drew a huge crowd. So did the pandal at Dakbungalow roundabout — a replica of Mahadev Temple at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh.

Sanjeev Prasad Toni, the president of Navyuvak Sangha Sri Durga Puja Samiti on Dakbungalow Road, said: “This time, our pandal is different as coconut leaves and bamboo have been used. It is eco-friendly as no cloth or colour have been used in the pandal.”

Mahesh Kumar, who came to the pandal with his family from Anisabad area, said: “The Puja pandal at Dakbungalow has been the one of the biggest crowd puller in the capital over the years. Each year, there is an effort to give revellers a different experience.”

Several Puja organisers drew inspiration from Anna Hazare’s crusade against corruption. Hazare’s statue was installed at some pandals.

Arvind Kumar Singh, the chairman of Sri Krishnapuri Durga Puja Samiti in the Boring Road area, said: “This year, we have installed a four-foot statute of Anna Hazare in sleeping pose to remind visitors Anna’s fast in New Delhi.”

A statue of Anna has been installed at the Puja pandal at Jagdeo Path also.