West Bengal gets ready for Durga Puja celebrations amid COVID-19: In pics
Kolkata: Amid the unprecedented outbreak of the coronavirus, the devotees are all set to celebrate the auspicious Durga Puja with COVID-19 guidelines.
The widely celebrated festival will commence from October 22 this year. In 2020, Mahalaya, which is the beginning of the Devi Paksha and end of the Pitru Paksha, took place on September 17. Usually, Durga Puja begins six days after Mahalaya but this year it is different due to mala maas - lunar month having two moons.
Durga Puja and Sharad Navratri coincide and are celebrated not just in the country but abroad by Indian diaspora as well.
Earlier on September 24, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asked Durga Puja organisers to set up open-air pandals and implement COVID-19 safety protocols.
(Photo Credits: IANS)
As per reports, major Durga Puja committees have decided that visitors' flow to open-air marquees will be continuous to ensure social distancing and that people will be asked to bring their own flowers for the 'pushpanjali' ritual. No devotee will be allowed to enter the pandal without a face cover.
(Photo Credits: PTI)