Covid-19 dampens Navratri, Durga Puja celebrations

New Delhi, Oct 25 The year 2020 has been like no other. While the world still reels under the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, festivities are impacted as well. As the country gears up for the festive season, the celebration of 'navratri', Durga Puja, and Dussehra have seen a slowdown, with a preference towards virtual festivities.

A survey conducted on the Public app, with over 63,000 respondents, reveals that 32 percent of Ind are not willing to attend a physical Durga Puja or Dussehra celebration this year. This number jumped to nearly 40 percent in states like Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Haryana and Maharashtra. At the same time, when asked if they think virtual celebrations are just as good, 55 percent users responded with a 'yes', reflecting the country's reclusive mood for this year's in-person festivities.

Joy Chakraborty, on behalf of Bengal Club, Shivaji Park in Mumbai, told life, "The COVID-19 pandemic is still a big issue in most states and Maharashtra especially Mumbai is still dealing with the health crisis that this pandemic has caused to all. Due to the pandemic, the Durga Puja Pandal of Bengal Club is not being set up like every year in a grand manner. Yet, to keep up with the tradition, a Durga Puja Pandal has been designed and created by Bollywood Set Designer Nitin Desai inside the Club's auditorium. People can do Darshan and Puja of Maa Durga only through Facebook and YouTube Channel of Bengal Club- Shivaji Park. No visitors are allowed in the pandal this year. Serving humanity is a form of doing Durga Puja itself, hence with this belief our management had organised a Blood Donation Drive on October 18. The club also gave a cheque of Rs 5 lakh to the CM Relief Fund for helping in the treatment of COVID-positive patients.

"I believe that this year, serving and saving human beings from COVID -19 is the key message that all celebrations should focus on and also keep the scale of celebrations to bare minimum to signify the festival."

According to Siddhartha Chaturvedi, General Secretary, Event and Entertainment Management Association

( With inputs from IANS )