Durga Puja celebrations in Nagaland subdued amid Covid-19 outbreak

Our Reporter

Dimapur, Oct. 22 (EMN): Amid the pandemic, many festivities have taken a backseat; this includes one of the most important festivals of the Hindu community, Durga Puja and Dussehra that are underway. 

Here in Dimapur, the festival is being celebrated but it is subdued; and by strictly following various standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the government. 

Speaking to Eastern Mirror, the vice president and spokesperson of the Dimapur Bengali Students’ Union (DBSU), Rajat Ghosh, informed that ‘Navratri’ puja has been going on for the last six days and from the 7th day, the main celebrations begin.

“The 7th, 8th and 9th days are the main days of celebration and as per protocol, the government has permitted us to perform 21 pujas which has to be hosted in mandirs,” informed Ghosh. He added that in the previous years, more than 60 pujas were performed in various parts of Dimapur.

Ghosh informed that the government has allowed 30 people, including volunteers, to gather.

“This year we won’t be distributing ‘prasad’ and no sitting arrangement has been made during the puja; each person will come and offer prayers and leave,” informed Ghosh.

Since large gatherings have been disallowed, Ghosh said that mandirs in Lhomithi colony and Kalibari Road have come up with the idea of performing prayers and puja through social media where the community can attend online from their homes.

“There will be limited volunteers as well during the burning of Ravan and submerging of goddess Durga which is on the last day (October 26),” informed Ghosh.

The Rotary Club president, Chandu Agarwal, also informed this newspaper that other celebrations that go along during the puja season would not be held.

“This year the celebrations have been cut short and everyone is following the SOPs,” said Agarwal.

He informed that each ‘puja pandal’ would have volunteers, proper security arrangements including thermal scanning machines. “We have hired private security also at old daily market pandal,” he shared.

On October 6, the Union Health Ministry had issued SOPs on preventive measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus during festivities, which includes Christmas. It had advised people above the age of 65 years, pregnant women, persons with co-morbidities and children below the age of 10 to stay home during such celebrations.