Bhubaneswar, Sept. 27: Durga Puja celebrations have begun across Odisha with religious fervour.

'The celebrations so far have been by and large peaceful. Still we have kept close watch and deployed adequate police forces at vulnerable points,' said director-general of police R.P. Sharma.

Saptami is being observed at the traditional shakti peethas (shrines) such as the Chandi temple in Cuttack, Biraja temple in Jajpur, Charchika temple in Banki, Bhagabati temple in Banpur and the Manikeswari temple at Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi. The Puja is also being celebrated across western Odisha and the tribal areas. At some areas such as Bhawanipatna, devotees offer animals and birds to appease the goddess. However, this practice has been stopped at most of the places after movement by social reformers.

On the other hand. Sasthi puja is performed at thousands of pandals across Odisha. Rituals such as 'bilwa barana' were performed.

In Cuttack, pandals with beautiful arches, filigree backdrops and crowns made of gold and silver are drawing lakhs of devotees. In Bhubaneswar, the 70-ft-high and 120-ft-wide pandal at Rasulgarh is the biggest attraction. Among other prominent pandals drawing crowds, the one at Saheed Nagar has been designed after a Buddhist temple in Thailand and Nayapalli has created a replica of the Lakshmi Vilas palace of Gujarat.

Lakhs of people are expected to gather in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar to witness Durga Puja. The highest number of Puja pandals have been erected in Old Bhubaneswar, which is a known Shaivite centre.

Elaborate arrangements have been made to control traffic in the twin cities. Police sources said 172 pandals came up in Bhubaneswar this year, while 168 pandals were erected in Cuttack.

Extra security arrangements have been made near the pandals, where the idols have been decorated with gold and silver ornaments and filigree backdrops have been put in place. To thwart any possible terrorist attack, the police have deployed two platoons of elite Special Operation Groups in Cuttack and one platoon in Bhubaneswar. The police have asked all the Puja committees to install CCTV cameras in the pandals.

Politicians and government employees took time off to enjoy the Puja holidays, while chief minister Naveen Patnaik has gone on a six-day visit to New Delhi.