Bhubaneswar, Sept. 5 -- Preparations for this year's Durga Puja began in Odisha's Cuttack and Bhubaneswar with the traditional collection of clay on Janmashtami. Following age-old customs, puja committees performed rituals on riverbanks before collecting soil for making idols of Goddess Durga.

In Cuttack, several puja committees performed puja at riverbanks before collecting the clay. The ritual marks the beginning of preparations for the Sharadiya Durga Puja, with committees now set to start work on idol-making and other arrangements.

Similar rituals were performed along the Kuakhai riverbed in Bhubaneswar. More than 20 puja committees, including those from Nayapalli, Saheed Nagar, Chandrasekharpur, Salia Sahi, Dumduma, Baramunda and K...