Mahalaya: Lakhs offer 'Tarpan' at Hooghly 'ghats', CM greets all

kolkata: As lakhs of people offered 'Tarpan' at different ghats along the River Hooghly in Kolkata and Howrah on the day of Mahalaya, which marks the beginning of 'Devi Paksha' and end of 'Pitri Paksha', Chief Minister Mamata

Banerjee greeted all on this auspicious occasion while inaugurating several Pujas in the city on Sunday.

During Tarpan, water is offered to the ancestors — who are dead — along with those who died on the war field, with burn injuries. People gathered at Babu Ghat from early in the morning to offer 'Tarpan.' Priests chanted the hymns and helped people conduct the rituals. For two years, people could not perform the rituals in the river due to the restrictions of the pandemic.

Elaborate police arrangements were made to provide security to those, who had gathered at the ghats to take a holy dip.

Divers and police launches were deployed and through the public address system people were requested not to gather in heavy numbers.

After a gap of two years, thousands of people gathered at the ghat beside Belur Math and Dakshineshwar temple and offered 'Tarpan.'

The Durga Puja at Belur Math will be held in presence of the visitors this year. Lakhs of people are likely to visit the Math to see the Puja, particularly the Kumari Puja.

Citizens Park Ladies Group of ward 68 started an initiative 'Mayer Anno Seva', where elderly women — who are financially challenged — were fed. Chandrima Bhattacharya, state Finance minister, Sudarshana Mukherjee, councillor of ward 68, Dilip Maharaj, secretary Bharat Sevasram Sangha, and singer Swapan Basu were present at the function.

New clothes and fruits were distributed among the patients admitted to different

state-run hospitals on the occasion of Mahalaya.