Intermittent rainfall coupled with strong winds badly affected the Maha Ashtami mood of various districts of north Bengal on Monday.

The sky stayed overcast and rainfall continued through the day in phases across Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar and Malda.

Whenever rains took a break, pandal-hoppers hit streets only to retreat when showers resumed.

Gusts of wind accompanying the rain damaged puja pandals in some of the north districts.

In Jalpaiguri, the pandal of the Patlivasha puja committee collapsed partially. Four persons were injured.

Patronised by local MLA Khageswar Roy, this Durga puja is popular among residents. People had gathered at the pandal in large numbers to offer anjali to Goddess Durga in the morning amid the rains. Most devotees had come out of the pandal after the anjali when parts of the structure got dismantled by the storm.

A temporary welcome gate decked up with lights raised on occasion of Durga puja was badly damaged at Pandapara Club in Jalpaiguri town.

Few other gates made by puja committees on Dhupguri-Falakata road of Jalpaiguri district were also damaged.

Foul weather impacted Cooch Behar district on Maha Ashtami as well.

The Haldibari-Mekhlganj road was blocked for over an hour after a giant gate of the Purbo Para Sarbajanin Durgotsav committee collapsed amid a storm. Police and puja organisers worked for an hour to clear the road of debris.

In Alipurduar, a puja pandal of Lohar Pool unit was damaged during storm and heavy rain.

In Malda, rain dampened the puja mood. The turnout at pandals, except during anjali, was visibly low because of the mild to moderate showers in several phases throughout the day.

Sporadic rainfall was reported from a few south Bengal districts but that did not deter pandal-hoppers from hitting the streets.

“The forecast was of heavy rainfall but the weather turned out to be not so bad after all. There was a slight drizzle in the evening but that did not stop us from visiting the puja pandals,” said a Burdwan town resident.