Over 2,500 idols immersed day after Muharram in Kolkata

On Dashami (Saturday), most household puja idols were taken for immersion. (Source: Parth Paul)

A DAY after Muharram, around 2,500 Durga Puja committees immersed their idols in the Hooghly on Monday. Most of puja organisers of Kolkata, barring the ones that will participate in the puja carnival on Red Road on Tuesday, immersed their idols on Monday.

On Dashami (Saturday), most household puja idols were taken for immersion. The community pujas, however, chose not to immerse their idols on Sunday (Muharram). As a result, around 2,000 community pujas held immersion on Monday.

“More than 2,000 household pujas in the city have already immersed their idols on Dashami. Also, more than 2,500 community pujas immersed idols at Hooghly today. The immersion process was peaceful and so far, we have received no reports of any untoward incident,” said Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee, who visited Babu ghat in the evening.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) workers were seen working on a war footing to clean the river after immersion. Cranes were put in service to lift the structures on which the clay idols of the goddesses were made. As soon as the idols were immersed, these structures were lifted from the river.

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KMC workers were also in action to prevent all puja organisers from throwing flowers in the river.

“All necessary steps have been taken to clean the river and save the environment. Our workers are working round the clock to ensure smooth immersion of idols, as a large number of puja committees immersed its idols today,” a KMC official said. A huge contingent of Kolkata Police was deployed at the ghats to manage immersion processions.