This story is from October 24, 2020

Prayagraj: Simplicity, corona curbs dominate Durga Puja

The much-awaited festival of Durga Puja formally began in the city on Thursday. However, it remained a low-key affair in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prayagraj: Simplicity, corona curbs dominate Durga Puja
Subho Saptami: Pushpanjali puja during Durga Puja at a pandal in Prayagraj
PRAYAGRAJ: The much-awaited festival of Durga Puja formally began in the city on Thursday. However, it remained a low-key affair in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This year, Durga Puja committees of Prayagraj have set up barwaris in accordance with the guidelines issued by the state government and the district administration. Simplicity and basic Puja rituals have replaced the grandeur and huge theme-based pandals that the residents used to witness in the past years.
The samitis have not only decreased the size of the pandals but have also limited the number of people who can enter at a time.
A range of other measures aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus has been put in place.
The size of the main idol has been reduced to around four feet from the usual six-foot-tall structure. Devotees are allowed to see the pandals only from a safe distance.
At the 140-year-old City Barwari, the main idols are placed on the stage, while all the devotees, barring the priest and a few organisers, sit at the other side of the barricade. Similarly, at Bai Ka Bagh Barwari, the devotees are made to sit, at a safe distance from each other, outside the well lit and decorated pandal.
Another difference marked this year is the absence of Dhaakis (Dhaak players), who used to arrive in large numbers from West Bengal every year on the invitation of many barwaris of the city and stay here till the conclusion of the Puja.

This year, most of Durga Puja samitis are relying on recordings of Dhaak beats which are amplified through the loudspeaker when the rituals are being performed.
“We are fortunate that two of the four Dhaak players we had invited, have managed to arrive in the nick of time. Not all pandals have these Dhaakis this year,” said Tanmay Chaterjee, who is associated with City Barwari.
Another highlight of this year’s Durga Puja is the provision of quarantine wards near the pandals.
“We have been instructed by the administration that if any visitor shows Covid-like symptoms, they should be immediately shifted to these separate quarantine wards so that other devotees are safe,” said Alok Roy, general secretary of Colonelganj Barwari. Besides, thermal screening and masks have been made compulsory at all the pandals.
Unlike previous years, when there used to be an award for the best pandals in the city, this year, the panel from the Bengali community will announce award for the barwari which has strictly followed all the Covid-19 norms.
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