Resplendent Jagaddhatri immersion procession dazzles Chandannagar

Kolkata: The mesmerising immersion procession at Chandannagar in Hooghly has left people spellbound with the decorative light installations on display, along with idols of Goddess Jagaddhatri, on Sunday evening.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee went to Chandannagar on Friday and appreciated the traditional immersion procession of the place, saying: "I got the idea of organising the Durga Puja Carnival on Red Road from the immersion procession of Chandannagar."

She also announced that the 10 best Jagaddhatri Puja Committees in Chandannagar will be awarded with Biswa Bangla Puraskar.

The state Youth Services and Sports minister Aroop Biswas visited Chandannagar to watch the grand event. He said: "The decorative light installations are really unique and are an integral part of the procession. I came here to learn how such a wonderful event is organised."

He further said that he had once visited the place in his childhood and watched the procession. This time, he went there after many days and was moved after watching the same.

In the procession, idols of different puja committees pass through an earmarked route and finally reach Strand Ghat where the idols are immersed in river Hooghly. People of the area participate in the procession and bid adieu to the Goddess amidst beats of dhaak and the sound of conch shells. The procession began in the evening and it will continue till the wee hours on Monday.

But the most attractive part is the decorative light installations fitted on trucks that move along with the idols in the procession.

People from different parts of the state turned up at Chandannagar during Jagaddhatri Puja and many only came to watch the procession on Sunday evening. Tourists from different parts of the country and abroad visited Chandannagar to watch the same.

People were found sitting on both sides of the roads through which the procession passed, before reaching Strand Ghat for immersion. Many occupied space since afternoon to get a clear view of the procession.

The police made an elaborate arrangement to ensure that no untoward incident takes place during the procession. Policemen

were posted along the route of the procession and senior police officers were also present at different locations to ensure a safe and secure immersion.

There was constant monitoring by the police to ensure that everything takes place as per plan, so that no one gets inconvenienced.