Coronavirus infects festive spirit in Delhi: Durga to come and leave ‘silently’

NEW DELHI: Durga Puja is still a couple of months away, but Covid-19 is looming large over the five-day festivities marked by pandal hopping, cultural events, feasting and fasting. In Delhi this October, the puja will be a one-day affair in most areas and marked also by only handful of residents joining the priest. The coronavirus pandemic has ruled out big gatherings and the financial strain caused by the lockdown has reduced the possibility of sponsors contributing to the tens of lakhs of rupees usually needed for the occasion.
In the capital’s mini Bengal at Chittaranjan Park — which with the neighbouring Greater Kailash, Alaknanda and Kalkaji hosts at least a dozen popular Durga Puja pandals that attract lakhs of visitors — there will be a small group performing a one-day ghat or kalash (sacred vase) puja instead of the customary pratima (idol) puja.This means no grand theme-based pandal will be erected or prasad and bhog distributed, and no food stalls either.
PK Paul, secretary of Dakshin Palli Durga Puja Samiti in CR Park’s Pocket 52, disclosed plans to perform a ghat puja with not more than five present for the ritual, including the priest and the assistant, even if 50 people are allowed. Paul is also secretary of East Bengal Displaced Persons Association (EBDP), the apex body of RWAs in CR Park, which manages overall arrangements in the area though local samitis organise the pujas.
At B Block, Tamal Rakshit of the local samiti similarly revealed, “We will have a one-day puja in the presence of the priest and his helper without anjali or bhog.” Rakshit reasoned that people are mentally ready to sacrifice grandeur in a year like this which comes once in a century. “Also,” he added, “where will we get sponsors for a large-scale celebration? The market is doing poorly and we will get donors even if we decided on a regular puja.”
With over a lakh people visiting its pandal every day and 30,000 served bhog over three days, the Mela Ground Durga Puja is arguably north India’s biggest in scale. Narayan Dey, secretary of the puja samiti, told TOI, “We are waiting for a government notification on Durga Puja celebrations. Without that, we are unable to take a decision. The organisation of the puja starts four months in advance, but this year we haven’t even approached potential sponsors or booked an idol maker.”
Other big puja organisers too will opt for the simple ghat puja, among them the 110-year-old Delhi Durga Puja Samiti, more popular as Kashmere Gate Durga Puja. “We will perhaps go back to our simpler roots of 1911,” said Som Prakash, samiti president. “We have neither held our general body meeting nor approached sponsors yet.”
The Kali Bari Mayur Vihar Samiti hasn’t firmed up plans beyond saying there will be basic rituals but no cultural events. “We will wait for government guidelines to see if distribution of bhog will be at all possible,” said Utpal Banerjee, puja panel secretary.
Debashis Saha, chief coordinator of Safdarjung Enclave’s Matri Mandir Durga Puja, declared that “we need to take care of life as well”, but said if government directives allowed even a gathering of 50, the committee has the resources to hold full-fledged celebrations. “We will raise funds even if we get 40 days’ time,” Saha said, “and we have already booked four artists, subject to the situation then. We will have a small idol and not allow more than 25 people to gather at a time.” He pointed out that the livelihoods were dependent on the celebrations, including of idol makers, pandal creators, cooks and drum beaters.