India News | Idol Immersion Ceremony Marks End of Five-day Durga Puja Festivities in Bengal

Kolkata, Oct 15 (PTI) The five-day Durga Puja festivities in West Bengal concluded on Friday with the idol immersion ceremony that saw the participation of only a restricted number of people at the river ghats this time amid adherence to COVID-19 protocols.

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Colourful processions were taken out by enthusiasts in various parts of the state during the day as the police maintained a strict vigil to ensure no untoward incident takes place.

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During the day, women participated in the traditional 'sindur khela' (smearing of vermillion on each other's faces) and offered sweets to the goddess before bidding her adieu for the year.

According to a senior officer of the Kolkata Police, adequate security arrangements were made to ensure the idol immersion ceremony was held "peacefully" everywhere.

Drones were used for surveillance and CCTVs fitted at the ghats, the officer said.

Several temporary waterbodies were set up in the city and elsewhere for immersion, he added.

Heavy cranes were seen used pull out the idols from the river following the immersion ceremony to prevent water pollution.

Chants of 'asche bochor abar hobe' (until next year) rent the air throughout the day.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)