The goddess Durga has arrived in a house near Entally, 40 days before she steps into pandals or thakurdalans, while organisers wait for the government’s instructions on Durga Puja.

The Das family in Seal Lane follows the longest of the seven prescribed periods of worship, starting on the ninth day of the new moon fortnight before Devipaksha or the divine full moon fortnight. And this year, because of the mala mash (a lunar month with two new moons when no auspicious rituals can take place) the gap with the schedule followed by most pujas has got even bigger.

This year, because of the pandemic and the lockdown, attendance was thin on Day 1 of the puja. “None of our relatives could come. Because of the situation, we have not pressured them to come, too,” said Prosenjit Das, who does the puja himself since the inception in 2008.

Two priests, in masks and sitting apart, are assisting him. They are the only outsiders allowed.

The family has taken other precautions, too. “We are offering only whole fruits as naibedya. The duration of the daily rituals will be shortened. The surfaces are being periodically sanitised. Nor will bhog be offered to 200-300 people as is our custom on Mahanavami,” said Das.

They are unsure of calling a dhaki. “Usually we have one on duty from Panchami. But we may have to make do with a digital recording this year,” he said.

During the mala mash from September 18 to October 18, only nitya puja, done for any household deity, will take place. “As puja will be such a long-drawn affair this year, we had to start preparing a lot in advance,” Prosenjit ’s wife Reema said.

Though relatives, including Prosenjit’s sister Moumita who had trained with him on conducting the rituals, could not attend, Das has found an assistant in his six-year-old son Ayush who has insisted on getting his own mini set of conchshell, bell, koshakushi and chamor, and is ready to imitate every move of his father during arati, clad in his little dhoti.

“No pandemic can dent his enthusiasm. He says he is a brave boy who does not fear the coronavirus demon,” Reema laughed.