Tarapith, Aug. 20: The number of pilgrims visiting Birbhum's Tarapith temple for Kaushiki Amavasya tonight has almost halved because of floods in Bihar, Assam and north Bengal.

"We had expected about 4 lakh pilgrims this year as the occasion fell on a Sunday. But the floods in Assam, Bihar and north Bengal have led to a 40 per cent drop. Many of the regular visitors contacted us over phone and said they would not be able to come this year," said Taramoy Mukherjee, the president of the Taramata Sevait Sangha.

Hotel owners in Tarapith complained of large-scale cancellations since yesterday morning.

Parimal Pramanik, who runs a hotel in Tarapith, said: "Already half-a-dozen rooms booked by visitors from Guwahati have been cancelled. The pilgrim informed us that they would not be able to come to Tarapith as all trains are cancelled."

Lakhs of pilgrims congregate at Tarapith on the occasion of Kaushiki Amavasya every year. They take a holy dip in the Dwarka river and drink its water.

Apart from the hotels, traders selling food items, toys and flowers are also apprehending losses.