Even though the Durga pujas celebrated at home do not have to bother about the high court’s decision on crowd management at pandals, the spectre of coronavirus still hangs heavy on them.
Each of the families The Telegraph Salt Lake spoke to is at their wits end on how to keep the virus at bay and still ensure a blemish-free puja. In these pandemic times, one can ill afford to say, “more the merrier”, an intrinsic feature of any celebration.
For most of them the celebrations will be muted, having fewer family members and friends.
The Das Chowdhurys of CJ Block are sad for not having the main driving force of the puja, Probodh Chandra Das Chowdhury, join them this year. The octogenarian family patriarch, settled in Sheffield, Yorkshire, is not travelling as at his age he is vulnerable to catch the virus. The family puja was started by his forefathers in Sylhet, now Bangladesh, at least four or five generations ago.
Pratima Chowdhury, younger cousin of Probodh Das Chowdhury, has taken over the reins of the event along with the other ladies in the family. They plan to live stream the puja for all those members who will miss out.
Talking about it, Pratima Chowdhury said: “My brother is unfortunately not coming over. One of the specialities of our festivities is that for us, Kumari Puja takes place on Navami, instead of Ashtami. We also offer 108 varieties of dishes (bhog) to the mother goddess on the day.”
About precautions, another family member, homemaker Debjani Das Chowdhury said: “We are bringing home a much smaller idol, so that the men at home can carry it by themselves. Anjali will be performed in batches of three or four people at a time.”
Amit Chakravarty, a molecular geneticist, and his wife Sudipa have been organising Durga puja at their CB Block home since 2002 and the Covid scare has meant that they stocked all necessary items needed for a safer event. From surface disinfectants, hand and vegetable sanitisers to infra-red thermal gun, they had them all in abundance even before they brought the idol home. “After the single-frame idol was brought home, we sanitised it. On Navami, we will hand out bhog boxes, instead of the sit-in feast. For our priest and his two companions, who come from Midnapore, we have arranged for a private car to transport them,” said Sudipa.
A member of CJ Block’s Das Chowdhury family inspects the idols Ashok Chatterjee
For the Sikders of AE Block, this year will be a low-key puja too. Started by the late Pravash Chandra Sikder in 1977, his son Partha and his brother organise it now. “We usually have 500-700 people partaking the bhog on Ashtami. This year, we will deliver the bhog to them. We will keep a wash basin at the entrance for the visitors and will sanitise the house every day,” said Partha, who runs his own business.
The rising positive cases in the state after Mahalaya has forced the Roy Chowdhurys of GD Block to give their much-awaited family event a miss. “Due to rapid spread of the virus after Mahalaya, we could not firm up to hold the puja this year,” said Kaushik Roy Chowdhury, who stays in a joint family of 15 members.
The puja was started by Kaushik's great grandfather at Dubolhati sub-division in Rajshahi, now Bangladesh. “My forefathers were the zamindars there,” said Kaushik. “All our family members, including children are disheartened. Even our immediate neighbours are crestfallen. We will place the holy urn (ghot) on the dais, where the idol is kept, and offer symbolic prayers,” said Kaushik.
Homemaker Nandita Banerjee, who performs Laxmi, Jagaddhatri and Kali puja at home is scared at the sudden spike in the Covid graph in the state. The senior citizen is planning to bring home smaller idols, apart from restricting visitors to her place. “Even relatives are not welcome,” said Banerjee, a resident of BH Block.
All the families are pinning their hopes on hosting a bigger and better event next year.
saltlake@abpmail.com
