DURGA PUJA AND THE PANDEMIC

Introduction

Durgaustsav or Durga Puja is the most commemorated and honoured traditional festival celebrated in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent-primarily Bengal. The annual celebration of Hindu Goddess’s arrival is the most prized possessions of Bengalis. The grand festivity that takes place for a span of six days beginning from Panchami to Dashami is extant with grandeur of decor of the pandals that fraught the streets of Bengal. Restaurants overflow with people belonging to almost all age groups showcase the love for food and celebration very evidently. In northern India this festival is celebrated as Navaratri. The Navaratri is also celebrated in Bengal alongside Durga Puja and Dandia shows and programmes take place in different parts of Kolkata city. In the recent past Durga Puja has become a source of good revenue for the Government of Bengal. The commercialisation of puja which include huge sponsors by the entertainment and industrial sector of the state alongside the fundraising activity that take places at the local level where the households contribute to raising funds to conduct puja has become a good and reliable source of revenue for the Government.

Impact of COVID-19 on Durga Puja

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a catastrophic impact worldwide and with daily spike in cases across India. The doctors seem quiet apprehensive about the Government’s initiative to still continue with the Durga Puja celebration. Doctors have written to the now Chief Minister regarding the danger of rise in cases post puja and emphasised the necessity of taking strict measures during the festive week. Proper surveillance system to prevent overcrowding in pandals and restaurants are suggestions made by the doctors. The Government has also emphasised on sanitizing the pandals and restaurants at regular intervals and carrying masks and maintaining social distancing would be imperative for pandal hopping. However the essential question remains despite such stringent measures and precautions will Durga Puja celebration augment the number of COVID-19 cases in Bengal? Medical practitioners opine that Bengal might meet the fate of Kerala. The Onam festival in Kerela increased the number of COVID-19 cases by 126. The population of Bengal is triple that of Kerala and Durga Puja is much more grandeur than Onam. The doctors who have warned the Chief Minister of a detrimental public health disaster have worded in the letter addressed to her that Bengal might witness “a tsunami of COVID-19 infections”. The Government under the advice of Global Advisory Council headed by Nobel Laureate Abhijit Banerjee has issued guidelines for puja organisers and exclusively for this year the idol immersion carnival has been prohibited. The clubs have been told to increase the number of volunteers around the pandals and each pandal must have masks and sanitizers at their disposal.

According to news reports Bengal has recorded 3591 cases with 62 deaths on the 10^th of October, 2020. The daily number of cases remains around 3200 and is gradually witnessing a spike since October. Given the current climate the probability of the Novel Coronavirus contraction is acutely high.

Conclusion

The economic benevolence attached to the Durga Puja is a well established fact. Thus the Government would be bent on going ahead with the celebration. The other factor that remains is people’s physiological health versus people’s mental health. The lockdown that began from the month of March across globe has taken a toll on people’s mental health. The youth and the children have begun to feel claustrophobic at home. This festivity will allow to an extent to go out and socialise in a limited way. According to the reports by the World Health Organisation there could be no antibiotics for viruses. What is required is to strengthen one’s immunity power with preventive measures and regulating one’s diet. Whether the Government’s decision to go ahead with the puja celebration was right or not cannot be analysed categorically. On one hand there is an economic dent and the Government would try to resolve and augment its revenue through festivities and on other hand along with people’s physiological health; the question of mental health also remains a primordial concern. Striking a balance between the two could be quiet an arduous task and the temptation of not going out during the pujas could be hard to control. One could only hope for restrain during the festive week allowing the battle against the pandemic to continue smoothly.

Shatarupa Dey,

Adjunct Researcher

Asia in Global Affairs