The five-day Durga Puja festivities in Bengal came to an end on Monday, albeit colourful processions, which usually mark the occasion, were largely missing from the city streets, as the idol immersion ceremony was observed by just a handful of people.

Dressed in traditional outfits and with masks worn on faces, devotees, while maintaining safe distance, touched the feet of goddess Durga as chants of 'asche bochor abar hobe' (till next year) rent the air.

Women devotees wearing PPE kits perform rituals during Bijoya Dashami celebrations at a community Durga Puja pandal, in Calcutta, Monday, Oct. 26, 2020. PTI

Devotees wearing PPE kits perform the traditional Dhunuchi dance in front of an idol of Goddess Durga during Durga Puja festival, in Calcutta, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020. PTI

Devotees immerse an idol of Goddess Durga in Ganga river PTI

Women offered sweets to the goddess, even as the traditional 'Sindur Khela' (women smear each other with vermilion) was mostly restricted to organisers and a few local residents at the pandals.

According to Kolkata Police sources, adequate arrangements have been made to ensure the idol immersion ceremony was peaceful everywhere, with CCTVs installed at all river ghats and personnel from civic bodies and Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) present at the venue to monitor the situation.

All puja committees have been told to send bare minimum members to the ghats for observing the rituals.

A fibre glass idol of Devi Durga being installed at a city pavement for the beautification of the city, in Calcutta, Saturday, October 24, 2020. PTI

Heavy cranes fixed atop boats were seen in action at some of the ghats to help lift and extricate the remains of the idols from the river to avoid water pollution.

This year, however, the Durga Puja carnival at Red Road, where big ticket committees showcase their idols before participating in the immersion procession, has been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.