The Scale of Immersion, Counted
The West Bengal Pollution Control Board estimates that Kolkata and its satellite towns immerse more than 28,000 Durga idols in the Hooghly and its connected water bodies during the four days of Durga Puja visarjan. The largest single-day surge falls on Dashami, the tenth day of Navratri, when processions from every para converge on the ghats at Babughat, Nimtala and Ahiritola simultaneously. The idols range from household murti no taller than a child to pandal centrepieces that require cranes and flatbed trucks. Each one carries into the water whatever it was made of.
