Kolkata witnessed a damp Thursday evening as rain showers swept through the city, briefly disrupting the festive fervour of Durga Puja.
From Salt Lake and Newtown to Rabindra Sadan, Esplanade, Baguiati, Behala, Charu Market and Ranikuthi, visitors hurried to take shelter under umbrellas or inside the pandals as streets turned slick with rain.
For a few hours, the showers thinned the crowds, but the festive spirit remained undiminished as people resumed their celebrations once the rain eased.
The wet spell arrived as forecast by the Alipore Meteorological Office.
While Bengalis had enjoyed sunny, dry weather for two days, Wednesday evening brought the sky crashing down at around 8 pm, soaking festival-goers and pandal hoppers.
Residents of North 24 Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly also reported similar showers, underscoring that the rains were not confined to Kolkata alone.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has cautioned that this may be only the beginning.
A low-pressure system forming over the Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify into a depression by September 26, before crossing the Odisha-Andhra coast the following morning.
South Bengal, including Kolkata, is likely to experience light to moderate rain almost daily for the coming week.
September 27 has been flagged by the IMD for possible heavy rainfall at isolated locations in South 24 Parganas and Jhargram, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds reaching 40 to 50 kilometres per hour.
The peak pandal-hopping days from Sashthi to Astami may see frequent showers, leading to traffic snarls, waterlogging in low-lying areas and temporary flooding of underpasses. Reduced visibility during heavy downpours is also anticipated.
Even as the rains return, authorities and CM Mamata Banerjee have urged residents and visitors to exercise caution, ensuring that the celebrations continue safely.
Despite the intermittent showers, the people of Kolkata have shown that no monsoon can dampen their devotion or their love for the festival.
