With only a few days to go for the Durga Puja festivities in West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court has ordered all puja pandals to be made into a ‘no entry’ zone in connection with the coronavirus restrictions. This was following a PIL that had been filed regarding the pooja rituals. This has come as a huge blow to all the ‘pandal’ hoppers who had been awaiting this year’s Durga Pujo celebrations.
“The court’s order further mentioned that the smaller pandals will have barricades five metres beyond the extremities of the pandals and 10 metres beyond the extremities of the bigger pandals,” said Advocate Sabyasachi Chatterjee, the petitioner of the PIL.
“For smaller pujas, 15 committee members and 25 members for the bigger pujas will be permitted to enter the pandal. Names have to be identified earlier and displayed outside the pandal. It has to be one fixed list and not a floating one,” said the court.
The number of people entering and exiting a puja pandal is also to be strictly monitored, and no ‘hopping’ is to be allowed. There are 3,000 Durga puja pandals in Kolkata and 31,000 Durga puja pandals in all districts of West Bengal. The court’s direction will be applicable for all 34,000 Durga puja pandals in the state.