Saraswati Puja celebrated in Pine City

SHILLONG: A group of boys and girls in the Pine City have decided to appeal to Goddess Saraswati to free the country from the shackles of corruption. Asked as to how they would accomplish the feat, one of them said, "It is a ritual to write "om saraswatye namoh" on a piece of paper and present it to the goddess Saraswati a day after the puja. This year, we have decided to write to her to relieve us all from corruption".
In Pine City, Saraswati Puja is celebrated by students and people in general from all sections of society. Festivals in the cosmopolitan Meghalaya capital have always been shared and enjoyed by one and all.
"I took my daughters around to visit the puja pandals," says Sam, a Khasi Muslim. Veronica Majaw, who is on vacation, added, "Saraswati is not only the goddess of learning but also music as she plays the veena and has a swan as her escort."
Girls dressed in traditional finery were seen all over the town. "It is a ritual for us to wear 'basanti' (yellow) saris on Saraswati Puja, which is also known as Basant Panchami," said Ellora Dutta, a student pursing her degree course in a city college.
Sumon Das, a defence personnel posted in Shillong, said, "At this time of the year, when winter is at its biting best, Saraswati Puja brings people out of their home and unites one and all."