Idol immersion marks culmination of Durga Puja in West Bengal

Durga Puja idol immersion in West Bengal amid grandeur and tight security, with special arrangements by authorities.

Immersion of idols started in the afternoon, with various Barwari Pujas, including the Shobhabazar Rajbari in Kolkata and the Kasimbazar Rajbari in Baharampur, carrying out the rituals with traditional pomp and grandeur as devotees bid farewell to Goddess Durga.

Elaborate arrangements were made at the ghats in Kolkata for the immersion of idols. According to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), five ghats in the city have been brought under special surveillance for immersion of idols. These ghats include Khidirpur’s Dahighat, Babughat, Ahiritola Ghat, Kumortuli and Bajekdamtala. Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim inspected the ghats and said arrangements had been made to deal with the inclement weather.

Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK), formerly known as Kolkata Port Trust, has been assisting in the removal of idols after immersion from the various immersion river ghats in Kolkata during Durga Puja and Kali Puja over the past 15 years. SMPT has made arrangements for immersion of idols at Baje Kadamtala Ghat, St Judges Ghat and Nimtola Ghat for October 2 to 5 during Durga Puja and from October 21 to 24 for Kali Puja.

“The work involves barricading the immersion ghats with ropes to arrest immersed idols and their removal mechanically/manually with barge-mounted cranes, launches, mechanised boats and manpower for eight days to prevent pollution in the river and keep the Hooghly river clean of floating debris,” a statement by SMPK said.

Idols were immersed all across the State in rivers and waterbodies. At Taki in North 24 Parganas district, immersion of idols in the Ichamati river, which runs along the border between India and Bangladesh, was held amid tight security by the border guarding forces.

The immersion of idols and the traditional ritual of ‘Sindoor Khela’ was disrupted on Thursday due to rainfall following deep depression in the Bay of Bengal. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning of heavy to very heavy rain (7-20 cm) very likely to occur at one or two places over Birbhum districts of South Bengal on Friday.

“Squally wind with speed reaching 55-65 kmph, gusting to 75 kmph, is likely to prevail over west central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal and along the Odisha coast till midnight of October 2. Wind would gradually decrease thereafter becoming 40-50, gusting to 60 kmph till morning of October 3 and decrease further thereafter,” a special bulletin by IMD said.