Bhubaneswar, Sept. 29: Devotees thronged pandals in various parts of the state, especially in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, to have a darshan of goddess Durga on the occasion of Navami today.

Kumari puja or worship of young and unmarried girls was also performed at several pandals as part of the rituals.

Amid blowing of conchs and beating of gongs, priests chanted mantras and performed Navami yajna at the Puja pandals.

The Puja pavillions that attracted the biggest crowds were Nayapalli, Rasulgarh and Jharpada mandaps in Bubaneswar.

Big crowds also converged at the pandals in Cuttack where the idols of the goddess have been decorated with silver and gold.

Leaders of various political parties also visited pandals to seek the blessings of the goddess Durga.

The prominent leaders who were seen at the pandals included Union minister for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan, finance minister Shashi Bhushan Behera, Bhubaneswar MP Prasanna Kumar Patasani and Congress veteran Tara Prasad Bahinipati.

While Pradhan and Behera said they were there to seek the blessings of the goddess and extended their greetings to the people, Patasani was seen beating a huge drum that delighted the crowd assembled at the Nayapalli puja mandal.

Bahinipati, on the other hand, danced with revellers to the tune of popular songs at a mandap in Koraput district.

Police had made elaborate security arrangements to ensure peaceful and smooth celebrations in different parts of the state but the focus was on the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack where no less than 79 platoons of police force were deployed to maintain law and order.

Apart from police, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force and Quick Action Team personnel have also been kept on the standby.

Elaborate arrangements have also been made for the smooth movement of traffic in the twin cities where puja celebrations invariably lead to traffic jams.

The police this time are also using closed-circuit television cameras to keep a watch on troublemakers at pandals.

The step has been taken in co-ordination with puja committees, which, too, are keen to ensure that devotees can view the idols without hassle.