Putting an end to the yearlong wait for the Durga puja, Maha Panchami ushered in an immense feeling of joy and warmth to the heart of people especially the Bengalis on Sunday. The city dwellers have started pandal hopping since ‘Tritiya’ with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurating famous pujas on <g data-gr-id="23">chaturthi</g>.
However this year, the city police were having a tough time to manage the overflowing crowd on Panchami itself. According to information, around 11 people sustained mild injuries as thousands jostled to see the 88-feet tall idol at Deshapriya Park.
After the incident, the police have decided to temporarily close the entry to the puja pandal. Later, the entire ground was evacuated. The entire traffic in south Kolkata collapsed completely, bringing the city to a standstill.
Police Commissioner Surajit Kar Purkayastha along with other senior IPS officers took a metro train from Esplanade to Kalighat and walked up several kilometres till Deshapriya Park to personally monitor the situation.
However, the metro services were also disrupted as the massive crowd headed underground, aiming to get off at the station nearest to the pandal.
The rush was all the more remarkable, given the pujas start on Monday. The key days of the four-day festival are Saptami, and Ashtami — on Tuesday and Wednesday — which witness the biggest rush.