Covid-19: Durga Puja celebrations low key sans idols, pandals, bhog amid coronavirus pandemic

It’s that point of the 12 months. The perfume of ‘shiuli’, the fragile orange and white flowers that blossom proper about now, mingles with the autumn breeze to herald Durga Puja however the frankincense is lacking and a cautious quiet has overtaken the sound of festivities. In the air there’s the virus and the worry of it. The Bengali neighborhood within the Delhi-NCR area is staying away from Durga Puja festivities, a neighborhood affair in parks and different open areas. And nowhere is that this extra evident than in Chittaranjan Park, typically referred to as ‘mini Bengal’.. It’s two days earlier than Durga Puja begins and Delhi’s predominantly Bengali neighbourhood has by no means been quieter.

The parks which have for many years served as venues for bigger than life themed pandals housing ornately decked Durga idols for 5 days yearly are abandoned. Keeping in thoughts the Covid-19 scare, puja committees in C R Park, because the south Delhi locality is understood, and elsewhere in Delhi-NCR have determined to maintain celebrations low key, internet hosting rituals on-line, sans idols, cultural programmes, ‘bhog’ and in a number of locations even the customary floral choices. On Monday,12 Durga Puja Committees of Chittaranjan Park, Greater Kailash 1 and a couple of, Alaknanda, and Kalkaji met at a temple and unanimously determined that the puja celebrations this 12 months could be suspended as a result of coronavirus pandemic.

The assembly was convened by Greater Kailash MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj and attended by the sub-divisional Justice of the Peace, police officers and different companies. “Most of the population of C R Park and members of puja committees are senior citizens and it is important they remain indoors and avoid contact with unknown people in pandals,” Bharadwaj, a legislator of Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party, mentioned. But nearly all of the committees will host a small “kalash puja/ghat puja” to “ensure continuity of puja by these samitis”, in keeping with an announcement issued after the assembly. C R Park’s Mela Ground Committee, which is understood for organising grand celebrations, that includes not simply distinctive puja themes but additionally cultural performances by main artists from Bengal, is one among them.

“Unfortunately this year we are not organising Durga Puja on a large scale considering the unprecedented situation. No ‘pandal’ will be installed to prevent large gatherings to keep the public safe from this contagious disease. “No activity will be organised except a ceremony called ‘ghot pujo’ which will be performed on ashtami with not more than 15 members and a priest at our Mela Ground park,” Avik Mitra, a member of the organising committee, advised PTI. Durga Puja is well known over 4 days — sashti, saptami, ashtami and navami which this 12 months fall from October 22 to 24. On the fifth day, dashami, devotees bid adieu to the goddess and the idol is immersed. In line with the Delhi authorities’s tips, 15 committee members, together with two clergymen, will likely be allowed to attend the rituals bodily inside the park precincts, the ultimate checklist for which needs to be submitted to the police. For others, the ‘ghot pujo’ will likely be streamed dwell on the committee’s Facebook web page.

“All those who enter the premises will have to submit a self-attested declaration stating that they have not come in direct contact with any Covid positive patient in the last 48 hours. “The Arogya Setu app will be mandatory for 15 members. Hand sanitisation, wearing of masks and maintaining social distance will be of utmost priority for all the members attending the ‘ghot pujo’,” Mitra mentioned. C R Park’s B-Block puja committee too has lowered the annual five-day affair to a single day celebration with a ‘ghot pujo’ on October 24 from 7 am onwards. Only the priest and two helpers will likely be allowed to take part within the rituals.

Unprecedented instances name for unprecedented motion, mentioned Suprakash Majumdar, normal secretary of the committee. “This year, the committee has decided that flowers, sweets, and fruits from individual homes cannot be offered. Nothing will be accepted by the priest due to Covid-19 restrictions. There won’t be any ‘pandal’, idol , entertainment/cultural events, sports events, ‘bhog’ distribution at our ground either,” Majumdar mentioned. The B Block committee is, nevertheless, accepting donations in money in addition to on-line and by way of cheque, all exempt from revenue tax. Puja spirits are working low even past Delhi’s ‘mini-Bengal’. Covid on their thoughts, Green Park’s Matri Mandir society additionally has chosen to go the ‘ghot pujo’ manner regardless of the state authorities’s nod for small scale celebrations.

“It would have been very difficult to restart after the government allowed puja celebrations. We will stick to our plan of performing ‘ghot pujo’. We will follow all rituals and no short cuts as far as the puja is concerned,” mentioned Debashis Saha, chief coordinator of the Matri Mandir Sarbojanin Durga Puja Samiti. While members of the committee will likely be paying their respects to the deity from their respective houses, the committee has determined to ship cash to all the employees related to the celebrations yearly. “We have decided to pay needy workers who were associated with our puja like the ‘dhaki’ (drummers), cooks, and security personnel. Also, we will donate to the PM’s relief fund,” Saha mentioned.

Caution is essential within the suburban city of Gurgaon that falls in Haryana.

Gurgaon’s DLF5 Durga Puja committee has capped the variety of folks current inside the pandal at any level of time at 45. “We will keep it as simple as possible… minimalistic, functional set up for pandal decorations. Our theme this year is about embracing minimalism, acknowledging the power of nature and appreciating the value of life, people and our society. “Apart from keeping all rituals and activities of the puja at a minimum, we also intend to cut down all costs wherever possible, and use part of the savings from the funds raised to help people impacted during this time,” a committee spokesperson mentioned. While people will likely be allowed to attend rituals bodily, for these not eager to return to the pandal, particularly the aged and different weak communities, celebrations will likely be telecast on-line on the committee web site and its social media handles.

“We have built a website for puja visit slot booking — 30 minute slots each, allowing 25 visitors in each slot and volunteers, security and sanitisation staff up to 20. No overlaps, or cross directional movement will be allowed. Attendees would be socially distanced once they are inside the venue. There will be flowerless ‘pushpanjali’ to avoid any common touch points,” the committee member mentioned. The web site can even be used to coordinate meals distribution to minimise crowding. “There will be pre-packaged takeaway ‘bhog’ on one of the days. People will not be allowed to sit down and consume food. Just a clean handover of takeaway packages booked through the website,” the spokesperson mentioned.

(This story has been revealed from a wire company feed with out modifications to the textual content. Only the headline has been modified.)

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