Sharmistha Chaudhuri travels to Taki to witness a unique idol immersion that unites the peoples of two countries in faith every year
It takes about three-and-a-half hours to drive through the Bengal countryside to reach Taki. A small town bordering the Ichamati river near Hasnabad, Taki is ideal for a weekend break from Kolkata. But on Mahadashami during Durga Puja, the place draws massive crowds as idols from India and Bangladesh are taken on boats to be immersed into the river. Though this ritual has been an annual visual treat since Independence, Taki has come under the spotlight only recently.
It was raining on the last day of the festival this year as my photographer and I made our way to the little town. The lush greenery, the petrichor in the air, the rural pandals, the enticing smell wafting from sweet shops along the way—they all built up our excitement for what was to come.
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