SILCHAR, Sept 10 - Amidst the rise in COVID-19 cases in Cachar district, the Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama, Silchar has taken up measures to celebrate Durga Puja in a low-key manner.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, Swami Ganadheeshananda Maharaj, secretary of the Sevashrama, said �We have received guidelines from Belur Math, and the Cachar district administration has also conveyed certain points to be followed during the festivities. Considering the pandemic, we are making certain vital changes for the Durgotsav. The venue for Durga Puja will be relocated to a new building within the premises. Devotees can come to offer prayers and we are making the necessary arrangements.�
Ganadheeshananda Maharaj said that unlike previous years, devotees can spend only 15-20 minutes to offer prayers in queues for men and women. This arrangement has been done to avoid rush, keeping the COVID-19 guidelines in mind. Also, there will be no arrangement for khichiri prasad this year, and instead, fruits and boondi prasad would be kept for devotees to carry.
Asked about the sanitisation facilities on the campus during the Puja days, Ganadheeshananda Maharaj said, �Like at our hospital in Kolkata, we will be installing machines that would emanate sanitisation rays covering 1,000 square feet area and up to 8 feet in height. There would be four machines at specific locations on the premises.�
Meanwhile, representatives of various Durga Puja organising committees are unanimous regarding the celebration of the festival in a simple way with minimal decoration or illumination of the pandals. They have requested the district administration to set a time limit for immersion of idols to avoid gathering. Administrative and police officials also said that the sizes of the idols should be minimised for hassle-free immersion with less involvement of people.
SILCHAR, Sept 10 - Amidst the rise in COVID-19 cases in Cachar district, the Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama, Silchar has taken up measures to celebrate Durga Puja in a low-key manner.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, Swami Ganadheeshananda Maharaj, secretary of the Sevashrama, said �We have received guidelines from Belur Math, and the Cachar district administration has also conveyed certain points to be followed during the festivities. Considering the pandemic, we are making certain vital changes for the Durgotsav. The venue for Durga Puja will be relocated to a new building within the premises. Devotees can come to offer prayers and we are making the necessary arrangements.�
Ganadheeshananda Maharaj said that unlike previous years, devotees can spend only 15-20 minutes to offer prayers in queues for men and women. This arrangement has been done to avoid rush, keeping the COVID-19 guidelines in mind. Also, there will be no arrangement for khichiri prasad this year, and instead, fruits and boondi prasad would be kept for devotees to carry.
Asked about the sanitisation facilities on the campus during the Puja days, Ganadheeshananda Maharaj said, �Like at our hospital in Kolkata, we will be installing machines that would emanate sanitisation rays covering 1,000 square feet area and up to 8 feet in height. There would be four machines at specific locations on the premises.�
Meanwhile, representatives of various Durga Puja organising committees are unanimous regarding the celebration of the festival in a simple way with minimal decoration or illumination of the pandals. They have requested the district administration to set a time limit for immersion of idols to avoid gathering. Administrative and police officials also said that the sizes of the idols should be minimised for hassle-free immersion with less involvement of people.
