Tarpan -- prayers for forefathers -- at Jagannath Ghat in north Kolkata on Wednesday morning. Mahalaya heralds the end of 'pitripokkho' and the beginning of Ma Durga's journey to her parents' home
Amit Datta/My KolkataMahalaya arrived with a blue sky but the day turned cloudy soon, adding to Kolkata's worry about rain in the festive days
Amit Datta/My KolkataTarpan rituals on the banks of the Hooghly in Kolkata. For countless Bengalis, Mahalaya means waking up to the voice of Birendra Krishna Bhadra. The radio broadcast is as much of a Durga Puja staple as pandals and idols
Amit Datta/My KolkataA civic volunteer warns the worshippers of the morning high tide
Amit Datta/My KolkataVisitors at Kumartuli Ghat on Wednesday morning. Although visitors will not be allowed inside pandals this year too because of the pandemic, the fervour around Durga Puja remains untouched
Amit Datta/My KolkataDurga idol being taken to its pandal from Kumartuli. The Bengal government has announced a strict set of rules for the festivities ahead. The signature Durga Puja carnival has been cancelled this year as well. Fairs and cultural programmes near the pandals have also been banned
Amit Datta/My KolkataSelfie time at Kumartuli, the north Kolkata neighbourhood famous for making idols, on Wednesday morning
Amit Datta/My Kolkata