Covid: No pandal or gathering this Puja; Bihar govt issues guidelines

PATNA: This Durga Puja in state is set to be a low-key affair as the state home department on Thursday issued a slew of guidelines to restrict mass gathering and other large scale rituals in the festivities owing to Covid-19 pandemic.
As per the guidelines, Durga Puja can be organised only in temples or at home without any theme decoration.
There will be no entrance gates and open space will have to be kept on the temple premises except where the idols of Goddess Durga will be kept.
Distribution of prasad, fairs, dandiya or garba celebrations have been prohibited to avoid public gathering. Public address system will not be allowed during the Puja.
Also, no person will be allowed without face mask near the temple or any public area. The Puja organisers are required to have enough stock of sanitiser in the temples.
“We are not allowed to erect pandals this year. However, ‘kalashsthapna’ will take place with Covid restrictions,” said Santosh Kumar, chairperson of Shri Vijay Vahini Durga Puja Samiti, Anandpuri.
Amik Kumar Srivastava, joint secretary of Shri Shri Navyuvak Sangh Durga Puja Samiti, Kadamkuan, said, “We have won several awards for cleanliness and maintenance in the pandals.
This year, keeping in mind the pandemic, we have decided to organise a few activities such as blood donation camps instead of erecting pandal in a bid to help people during the festive period.” Residents have also accepted the guidelines issued for the festivities. Kankarbagh resident Pranav (32) said, “Durga Puja for us is all about decorated pandals, fairs and dandiya nights. However, it will be different this year and we will not step out of home unnecessarily.”
Neeta (50), a resident of Anandpuri, said, “We go to pandals every year during Puja, but this time we will avoid public gathering and enjoy the rituals at home. Kalashsthapna will anyway take place. However, it is better to avoid going outside.”