A sharp spell of rain lashed the city on Sashthi evening after a hot and humid day.
The rain was caused by local thunderclouds which formed because of the heat and moisture in the atmosphere. The next two days are likely to see more widespread rain, according to the Met forecast.
“A cyclonic circulation is expected to form over the west-central and adjoining northeast Bay of Bengal by Sunday morning. The system is unlikely to intensify too much. But Sunday and Monday are likely to be rain-soaked and the sky is likely to remain consistently overcast,” said a Met official.
The fear of an early washout prompted many revellers to make the most of the early half of Sashthi, dry till evening. As a result, popular pujas were crowded since morning. As the day progressed, the number of visitors kept surging.
Around 1pm, Ballygunge Cultural Association was heavily crowded. From the balcony of a house near the pandal, one could see only a sea of heads moving in and out. The pandal was still getting finishing touches, but the crowds were not bothered.
Around 2.30pm, Nalin Sarkar Street in the north had a similar picture. Inside the pandal, scores of cellphones kept flashing.
A surge of revellers was headed to the Sreebhumi, FD Block (Salt Lake) and the New Town Durga Puja pandals throughout the day.
Many pandal-hoppers told this newspaper on Saturday that despite the weather being hot and sweaty, they had stepped out as it did not rain.
“We decided to step out today after office as there are chances of rain in the next few days. We did not want miss a chance to visit the Sreebhumi and the FD Block pandals. We are now headed to Santosh Mitra Square,” said Sourav Chatterjee, a techie who works in Sector V and had stepped out with colleagues.
Sashthi traffic was a mixed bag. Despite heavy police deployment, Rashbehari Avenue saw long snarls throughout the day, as did VIP Road. But traffic was relatively smooth on several other thoroughfares, including APC Road and Central Avenue.
Statue of Jesus Christ was unveiled at Bishop’s House
A statue of Jesus Christ was unveiled at Bishop’s House on Chowringhee Road on Saturday on the occasion of the 208th anniversary of the establishment of the diocese of Calcutta, Church of North India (CNI).“Like any Church-based missionary organisation, we have long felt the need to install a full-size statue of Jesus Christ at Bishop’s House, the headquarters of the diocese of Calcutta,” an official said at the unveiling.Reverend Paritosh Canning (in picture), bishop of the Calcutta diocese of CNI, said: “This is also an occasion for us to share with you all our joy and thankfulness, reminiscing and celebrating the 208th year of the rich history and legacy of the diocese of Calcutta, serving society at large in the field of education, health, women’s empowerment, gender justice, elderly, women and children, orphans and the poor, needy and marginalised sections of society, irrespective of caste, creed, colour, religion and gender.”