Puja committees across Jharkhand have been be allowed to deliver ‘bhog’ to the devotees at their homes during Durga Puja, however, “community feasts” and “bhog distribution programmes” will remain strictly prohibited as a precautionary measure against Covid-19, state disaster management minister Banna Gupta has clarified.

Pointing at alleged misinformation being spread regarding bhog distribution during Durga Puja in the state, Gupta said that the government has not imposed any kind a ban on the home delivery of bhog during the festival, if the process is carried out with due adherence to the Covid-19 protocols.

“I would request all the devotees in our state to taste prasad or bhog at home as we still need to be cautious about Covid-19,” said the minister.

Meanwhile, the Ranchi district administration has refused to entertain the demands of puja committees to allow idols taller than five feet. Several puja committees had demanded that the government remove the five feet cap on the height of idols as taller idols may not lead to any violation of Covid norms and idol makers had already made taller idols by the time the government issued its guidelines for puja.

The puja committees have been allowed to play mantras and other puja rituals on speakers, but playing songs remained prohibited. Special police patrolling teams will keep an eye on the violators during the festival and book them under the relevant sections of the Disaster Management Act.

The district administration, after a meeting various puja committees, has issued elaborate guidelines for Durga Puja and Dussehra celebrations. Like last year, puja committees will neither be allowed to decorate areas around the puja pandals nor set up food stalls in the vicinity of pandals.

As per the guidelines set by the district administration, devotees will not be allowed to enter inner section of the puja pandals. They will have to worship Maa Durga from a barricade set outside the pandals. Not more than 25 people, including puja committee members and priests, will be allowed to remain inside the pandals at a time.

The district administration has decided not to allow minors to visit puja pandals in a move particularly aimed at averting the third wave of Covid-19, sources from Ranchi administration said on Tuesday, adding that all puja committee members and priests will have to be at least partially-vaccinated.

Continuing the ban on religious processions, the administration has decided to allow only puja committee members to attend idol immersion rituals that will be performed at locations set by the administration in advance.

For the second year in a row, Ranchi will not witness Ravan Dahan, a ceremony that attracts hordes of people from suburban as well as urban areas to the Morhabadi Ground here. The administration observed that allowing Ravan Dahan in public places could lead to huge gatherings, which may cause spread of Covid-19.