About 700 idols were immersed by 6.30pm on Tuesday, the first day of immersion of Durga idols, officials in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) said.
Around 9pm, hundreds more were in the queue on the roads towards the ghats.
The immersion, which will continue till October 27, is taking place in more than 15 ghats along the Hooghly and in over 150 ponds across the city. Salt Lake and New Town have ponds where idols from the townships are being immersed.
Immersion had to be stopped for about 15 minutes, from around 6.30pm, as the high tide began.
“We do this for the safety of those going down into the Hooghly because it is difficult to gauge how quickly water will rush in with the onset of high tide,” said an official of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
A police officer at Baje Kadamtala Ghat along the Hooghly said he saw idols coming for immersion since around noon.
Almost all pujas organised by families complete their immersion on Dashami, police officers said.
“All private offices, banks and businesses will reopen on Wednesday. It becomes difficult for them to drag the Puja. Besides, they also believe in the traditional four-day Puja. Each extra day means more budget,” said the police officer.
As evening approached, many small-budget community pujas started to arrive at the ghats with their idols.
“Around 300 idols were immersed at Judges Ghat by 6.30pm. At Baje Kadamtala Ghat, about 180 idols were immersed by 6.30pm,” said a KMC official.
Port trust cranes were assisting in removing the idols from the river to combat pollution.
Police officers and officials of the civic body have said the majority of the pujas immerse their idols on the first two days. Only a few pujas do the immersion on the third day, while the ones that are invited to the carnival on Red Road immerse their idols on the last day.
The KMC official said more than half the pujas immerse their idols at Judges Ghat, Baje Kadamtala Ghat and Nimtala Ghat. “These are the busiest ghats on the immersion days,” said the official.
The Ganga arati, held at Baje Kadamtala Ghat, has been suspended till October 31 to facilitate immersion of Durga idols and later Lakshmi idols, a KMC official said.
Mayor Firhad Hakim visited some of the immersion ghats on Tuesday.
Each of the ghats and ponds have enclosures where flowers, garlands and other items carried with the deity have to be thrown before the idols are immersed, the KMC official said.
The main ghats along the Hooghly have cranes to lift the frames of the idols within minutes of their immersion. The frames will be taken to Dhapa for disposal.
