On Dashami the idols are taken to the river and immersed. The processions move through the afternoon and into the night, with dhak, dancing and the trucks that carry the larger idols. Babughat, Bagbazar Ghat, Ahiritola Ghat and Nimtala are the main immersion points.
Since 2016 the state has also held a carnival on Red Road a day or two later, where selected pujas parade their idols before immersion. It is organised, ticketed and much easier to watch than the ghats.
The names
Places, pujas and people, with what each one is| Name | Where | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Babughat | central Kolkata riverfront | The largest immersion point; cranes lift the bigger idols. |
| Bagbazar Ghat | north Kolkata | The northern immersion point, and one of the oldest. |
| Ahiritola Ghat | north Kolkata | Another of the northern ghats. |
| Nimtala Ghat | north Kolkata | Immersion and cremation ghat on the Hooghly. |
| Red Road Carnival2016 | Red Road, central Kolkata | Selected pujas parade their idols; ticketed seating, and televised. |
| Sindoor Khela | every pandal, Dashami | Before the idol leaves, married women smear vermilion on her and on each other. |
| The dhakis | the processions | Drummers who come in from the districts for the week and go home after. |
| Immersion monitoring | the ghats | The pollution control board now requires the frames and ornaments to be removed before the clay enters the water. |
Worth knowing
- Dashami afternoon onward the roads to the ghats close to traffic.
- The carnival on Red Road is far easier to watch than the ghats themselves.
- The clay returns to the river it came from, which is the point of the whole cycle.
- Frames, ornaments and paint are now removed before immersion under pollution rules.
More on Durga Puja
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