Muted Puja Celebrations After High Court Order
Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.
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By Linus Garg
First publised on 2020-10-21 14:46:55
About the Author
Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.
View all posts by this Author
The Calcutta High Court has dampened the Pujo spirit in West Bengal after the TMC government had allowed (even supported community pujas by giving Rs 50000 to selected Pujo committee) community Pujas after imposing certain conditions in view of the pandemic. But the High Court has now decreed that no one, apart from the organizers, will be allowed to enter the Puja pandals. It has ordered for barricading 10 metres away for big Pujas and 5 metres for smaller Pujas. This will rob the devotees of the usual charm of worshipping the deities from close quarters but in these troubled times, perhaps this is as it should be to prevent overcrowding and the risk of the virus spreading at a breakneck speed.
West Bengal, like most parts of the country, has shown signs of having suppressed the spread of the virus. But festivities are occasions when health advisories and precautions are usually thrown to the winds by revelers. Hence, a note of caution was necessary and the High Court has done its bit. It may sound too harsh to some but those who have experienced the jostling that goes on inside Puja pandals will agree with the court that there perhaps was no other way.
The Puja committees will also have to make adjustments in their pandals as the usual practice is to keep the idols away from public eye. One had to enter the pandal to view the idols. With the High Court order not allowing people to enter the pandals, the idols will have to be so placed that the crowd can view them from 10 metres away. For this, the pandals will have to be open, as the West Bengal government had demanded earlier, or at least the gates will have to be widened.
There is expected to be a lot lesser crowd in Kolkata this year mainly due to the fact that the suburban trains are not running. The crowd in Kolkata largely comprises of people coming in from the districts and one can expect not more than 30 percent of the crowd seen in previous years as many Kolkatans will also think twice before venturing out due to the continuing health scare.
Organizers are making full use of technology to introduce live streaming of aartis and virtual tours of pandals, the lighting and the decorations. But that will not make amends for the thrill of going pandal hopping with relatives and friends. The crowd, which in previous years added to the festivities, has become a stumbling block this year due to the coronavirus scare. Hopefully, Ma Durga will slay the coronavirus demon by Pujo 2021 and things will return to normal. This year, devotees will have to make do with muted celebrations.
