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Durga Puja During Covid-19

Durga puja 2020

No doubt that durga puga is one of the most popular and traditional festivals of bengal. But thinking about the 5-6 days of puja with its usual hustle bustle during corona pandemic raises concern and fear of triggering spread of corona virus. Durga Puja means crowd with streets, lanes and by lanes becoming flooded with pandle hoppers. Who can think about social distancing then? Is it at all possible to manage large crowds which can contain men, women, children, and even senior citizens. Is it at all feasible,? If the answer is yes, then there is great risk of exposing people to the virus which has crossed 2.5 lakhs in Bengal with no sign of any decline. In such precarious situation durga puja needs to organised for sole purpose of puja only without any showbiz or advertisement. Things might not be easy as more and more people including children try to come out on the streets. Using mask or social distancing may become just an obligation given the lack of open space. Researchers have already warned that during puja things might worsen due to close public gatherings. It will be a nightmare for police, volunteers to manage a durga puja crowd as per covid-19 rules. Something needs to be worked out fast for anything like a crowd less puja where people will not gather around pandals. Also keeping in mind that covid-19 will worsen during winter, government should not take chances and try for a crowd less durga puja where focus will be only on performing the traditional holy rituals and puja of Maa Durga.

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