Durga Puja 2020: Marrah, a small village 30 km away from the industrial town of Bokaro in Jharkhand which has just 2,000 villagers will see the installation of its first Wi-Fi connection. The village has just 700 Bengali families and they play host to one of the rarest Durga Puja for the last 300 years.
The puja is organized by the Ghosh family but due to the global pandemic and the family is unable to reach the village. In a bid to reignite the spirit of festivity, Ghosh’s family decided to organize the holy Puja virtually. The Ghosh family is getting Wi-Fi installed in the village.
Although, India has come a long way in terms of technology villages in India are still behind in the electricity and network context. The first-ever Wi-Fi is being installed in the village so that senior members can supervise Durga Puja online this year.
As reported by India Today, the village does not get even 10 hours of electricity and every installs generator to conduct Durga Puja, installing a Wi-Fi connection is a challenge. Pritika Datta, a daughter-in-law who was the brainchild of this idea told the portal, “Once you start doing Durga Puja, it is not possible to skip even for one year. Several villagers look forward to our puja throughout the year. Sometimes they want to offer prayers after their wishes have been fulfilled. We had to come up with an idea to conduct the puja somehow in spite of the situation.”
Reportedly, a 300-meter wire has been laid out to install a Wi-Fi connection in the village. The family is happily bearing the cost of the internet and router and all the other facilities.
The senior member of the Ghosh family is also happy with the initiative, he said, “It is the job of the elders to make space for the young generation. And we are going through a difficult situation. If they have come up with the idea where the puja doesn’t suffer and at the same time all the family members, villagers feel united along with social distancing, there is absolutely no problem.”
This initiative is welcomed by the village people too. While this remote village has decided to celebrate the festival virtually, Durga Puja this year in any part of the country has gone virtual due to the rising number of Coronavirus cases.