The preparation for Dussehra took off in Odisha’s Cuttack district on the occasion of auspicious occasion of ‘Janmashtami’ on Thursday. As per the tradition, puja organising committees of different localities of the city brought holy soil from river banks for construction of the idols of Devi Durga in grand procession on the day.

Since community celebration of Dussehra has been allowed in the city this year, the members of the committees along with the locals thronged the river banks in the morning. They took bath in the river and collected the soil in ‘Kalash’ (earthen pitcher).