NOIDA: Decorative pandals, cultural programmes, food stalls and the quintessential bhog will be missing from the Durga Puja festivities in Noida for another year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
While the Noida Kalibari authorities have decided to keep the festivities low-key between October 11 and 15, many puja committees are planning not to allow visitors beyond committee members.
Known for its grand festivities, which attract people from Delhi-NCR every year, Noida Kalibari will restrict the entry of 100 devotees at a time in its premises during the annual autumn festival this year. Theme based pandals, bhog distribution and cultural programs have also been closed for the second year in a row.
“We will perform Durga Puja on a small scale as per the guidelines issued by the Uttar Pradesh government. The size of the idol will be limited to around five feet as compared to the pre-Covid days, when it used to go up to 16 feet. There will also be a small pandal but without a theme. Devotees will have to maintain social distance and wear masks at all times. Thermal screening and hand sanitizer will be arranged at the entry gate. We will strictly follow the protocol of ‘no mask, no entry’ in Kalibari premises,” Anupam Banerjee of the managing committee of Noida Kalibari (Sector 26) told TOI. He said an outside security agency along with temple volunteers would be deployed at all times to control the crowd.
In view of the upcoming festivals, the Gautam Budh Nagar police had on September 30 issued an order to extend the pandemic-related restrictions under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which included a cap of 100 guests at a wedding and no religious ceremony. or social congregation, until October 31.
Puja committees across Noida are also planning to restrict 50-100 guests and do away with ‘anandmelas’ (cultural gatherings) in view of the restrictions. Jalvayu Vihar Sanskriti Kalyan Samiti (JVVSKS) in Sector 25, which is celebrating the 29th year of Durga Puja this year, will skip the usual extravagant programs and perform a traditional puja with a non-themed pandal and a five-foot idol. Like last year, the committee will organize online streaming of the rituals.
Jaya De of JVVSKS said that priority will be given to devotees taking both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, the puja committee has requested all senior citizens, children below 10 years and pregnant women to follow the norms of COVID-19 Avoid going to the pandal. .
“Stickers advising people to maintain physical distance will be put up at the venue, even as the pandal premises will be sanitized daily with fogging machines. Flower offerings and rituals will be conducted in groups while maintaining proper physical distance. Apart from saris, no other offerings like fruits and flowers will be accepted from the devotees. We will also distribute packaged prasad to the devotees,” Dey said, adding that no person will be allowed without a mask.
JVVSKS is also planning to stream all puja rituals and pre-recorded evening cultural events on Zoom or other mobile applications.
Sarbozonin Durga Puja in Sector 62 will also have restrictions related to Kovid in place. “Besides the Covid protocol, we will have a traditional ‘Ek Chala Pratima’ (single-framed idol). We will be hosting a virtual cultural event with some of the popular artists of Kolkata as well as in-house people. Siddharth Sen, a member of the puja committee, said, ‘Anandmela’ has not been planned yet.
While the Noida Kalibari authorities have decided to keep the festivities low-key between October 11 and 15, many puja committees are planning not to allow visitors beyond committee members.
Known for its grand festivities, which attract people from Delhi-NCR every year, Noida Kalibari will restrict the entry of 100 devotees at a time in its premises during the annual autumn festival this year. Theme based pandals, bhog distribution and cultural programs have also been closed for the second year in a row.
“We will perform Durga Puja on a small scale as per the guidelines issued by the Uttar Pradesh government. The size of the idol will be limited to around five feet as compared to the pre-Covid days, when it used to go up to 16 feet. There will also be a small pandal but without a theme. Devotees will have to maintain social distance and wear masks at all times. Thermal screening and hand sanitizer will be arranged at the entry gate. We will strictly follow the protocol of ‘no mask, no entry’ in Kalibari premises,” Anupam Banerjee of the managing committee of Noida Kalibari (Sector 26) told TOI. He said an outside security agency along with temple volunteers would be deployed at all times to control the crowd.
In view of the upcoming festivals, the Gautam Budh Nagar police had on September 30 issued an order to extend the pandemic-related restrictions under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which included a cap of 100 guests at a wedding and no religious ceremony. or social congregation, until October 31.
Puja committees across Noida are also planning to restrict 50-100 guests and do away with ‘anandmelas’ (cultural gatherings) in view of the restrictions. Jalvayu Vihar Sanskriti Kalyan Samiti (JVVSKS) in Sector 25, which is celebrating the 29th year of Durga Puja this year, will skip the usual extravagant programs and perform a traditional puja with a non-themed pandal and a five-foot idol. Like last year, the committee will organize online streaming of the rituals.
Jaya De of JVVSKS said that priority will be given to devotees taking both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, the puja committee has requested all senior citizens, children below 10 years and pregnant women to follow the norms of COVID-19 Avoid going to the pandal. .
“Stickers advising people to maintain physical distance will be put up at the venue, even as the pandal premises will be sanitized daily with fogging machines. Flower offerings and rituals will be conducted in groups while maintaining proper physical distance. Apart from saris, no other offerings like fruits and flowers will be accepted from the devotees. We will also distribute packaged prasad to the devotees,” Dey said, adding that no person will be allowed without a mask.
JVVSKS is also planning to stream all puja rituals and pre-recorded evening cultural events on Zoom or other mobile applications.
Sarbozonin Durga Puja in Sector 62 will also have restrictions related to Kovid in place. “Besides the Covid protocol, we will have a traditional ‘Ek Chala Pratima’ (single-framed idol). We will be hosting a virtual cultural event with some of the popular artists of Kolkata as well as in-house people. Siddharth Sen, a member of the puja committee, said, ‘Anandmela’ has not been planned yet.
.