Bhubaneswar: Around 300 Odias from across the US state of North Carolina came together to celebrate Durga Puja at Apex, with the community volunteers organising the festival under the Carolinas chapter of Odisha Society of the Americas.A large idol of Goddess Durga and accompanying deities was shipped from Kolkata in 2025, and after the puja that year, it was kept in a box for the 2026 festivities. A smaller idol was made for ‘bisarjan’ (immersion). “This year, it was made by a teenager from the Odia community. It took him about a week,” said Saurav Choudhury, one of the organisers.He added earlier, they used to attend pujas organised by other groups, but entry was restricted. “So, since last year, we have been organising Durga Puja for the Odia community,” said Choudhury.Volunteers erected and decorated the puja pandal and entrance gate, installed a photo booth, prepared and distributed prasad, managed registrations and food tokens and packed meals. Traditional Odia dishes, including ‘khechudi’, ‘baigini’, ‘ghanta’ and ‘khiri’, were served as prasad.Among other rituals, traditional ‘sindoor khela’ and ‘dhunuchi nach (dance)’ were held, while adults and children presented bhajan performances as part of a cultural programme. The new members were trained by seniors in the dance and other rituals.Meanwhile, Bengali Club USA celebrated the 3rd Global Times Square Durga Puja 2026 in New York.