Boat rides on the Ichhamati alongside soon-to-be-immersed idols were allowed with some restrictions by the Bengal government and the Border Security Force on Wednesday on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami.

The traditional joy ride, with people from either bank of the border-straddling Ichhamati, had been suspended in the past two years owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Devotees were, however, allowed to ride only for a three-hour window from 2pm to 5pm and had to return to the designated ghats according to the order of the administration.

An official said puja organisers were given four hours, from 2pm to 6pm, to complete the immersion.The BSF and its counterpart — Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) — drew a line of control along the middle of the stretch, using a rope on the Ichhamati, which acts as the riverine border.

This was to ensure that no boat from either side could sneak into the other’s territory. On the Indian side (Taki), the idols are immersed, whereas idols from Satkhira (Bangladesh) are immersed on the other side of the rope.

Last year, only puja organisers had been allowed to sail for immersion purposes for a short time and with only eight persons aboard.

Farukh Gazi, the vice-chairman of Taki municipality, said: “People had been waiting eagerly to resume the immersion tradition for the past two years. The Covid pandemic unsettled everything. Now, there is no more threat of Covid. So, people today joined in large numbers to see the immersion and the boat ride on the Ichhamati”.

Tourist sentiment could be gauged from the fact that several people from Calcutta drove to Taki early in the morning to join the boat ride. Samrat Banerjee, one such visitor hailing from Dhakuria, said: “Watching immersion riding a boat on the Ichhamati is a lifetime experience for me. I heard a lot about it and it eventually materialised today. The Covid situation had unsettled my plans in the past two years. So, I was desperate for the ride this year”.

A large number of people from Taki and several other areas had gathered at major ghats of the Ichhamati, including Rajbari ghat, Ghosh Babu ghat and Sayedpur ghat. A strong police force was deployed at these ghats to control the crowd. BSF personnel patrolled the Indian territory. The BGB personnel monitored the immersion on the Bangladesh side.

Superintendent of police, Basirhat police district, Joby Thomas K, said: “People were eager to witness the immersion. They were allowed this year but with certain restrictions. We deployed a large police force to ensure security, working in coordination with the BSF and the Taki civic administration.”

On Vijaya Dashami, a few thousand people on either side of the Ichhamati gathered to witness the spectacular immersion of Durga idols, while many people hire boats to enjoy a ride with the idols.

The traditional boat ride for the immersion on the Ichhamati goes back a few centuries when the local zamindar families introduced it. “There were at least seven zamindars in undivided Bengal, who introduced boat rides preceding the immersion. In time, the villagers under their rule also joined the celebration. The tradition continued even after Bengal was divided”, said a local resident.