At least 1,500 people in Kalna, East Burdwan, took a holy dip in the Hooghly on the occasion of Mahalaya on Thursday to perform tarpan rituals as a tribute to departed ancestors.

Mahalaya this year is unusual for two reasons, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the fact that Durga Puja will start over a month later because of the mala mash, or a lunar month with two new moons. Like in many other places, the crowd in Kalna violated physical distancing norms during the tarpan.

On Wednesday, officials of police and administration campaigned in the town requesting residents to maintain Covid protocol while performing tarpan, but on Thursday, the police admitted that they could not ensure the safety protocol.