Safety concerns turn Dasara events low-key

ublic celebrations are restricted, and community groups have come up with new protocols

Associations hosting Dasara are doing their bit to avoid crowding this year.

The J C Nagar Dasara Utsava Samiti hosts one of the biggest Dasara events in Bengaluru. The tradition began in 1914, in line with the Mysuru Dasara festivities.

R Prakash Rao, organising secretary, says, “On the last day of the festivities, we used to have a large car procession, and about 20,000 people from nearby villages would gather. This year, that will not be happening.”

Puja will be performed at the Muneshwara and Maheshwaramma Temple, JC Nagar. No cultural activities, tamate drum beating or dollu kunitha, will be held.

Prakash says physical distancing is a must for those coming for ‘darshan’. Gloves and masks will be given to people attending the puja, he told Metrolife.

‘Aarti’ online

Navaratri is a big celebration for the Gujarati community in Bengaluru. Shree Indiranagar Gujarati Association, which has organised large gatherings and programmes for 35 years, will see limited festivities.

Praful Maun, committee member, says, “We have to instal the garba (the earthen pot), keep it for nine days, and on the ninth day, bid goodbye to goddess Durga. The pot is usually placed in the centre of the venue and one sings and dances around it.”

This year, these festivities will take place at members’ homes. “All nine days, we will have the ‘aarti’,” he says.

No bhog, pushpanjali

Assam Association will be hosting a members-only celebration between October 22 and 25, 8 am to 8 pm.

Pranab Jyoti Borah, social welfare secretary, says, “The puja will take place on a small scale with restricted entry,” he says.

Only 10 members will be allowed at the venue in Old Airport Road at a time. “Sanitisation will be done on a regular basis. The elderly and children will not be allowed,” he says.

A cultural extravaganza will be streamed on Zoom from October 22 to 24, 6.30 pm to 8 pm.

App-based monitoring

Permission to gather limited people has reduced celebrations for R T Nagar Durga Samiti. “We will be using an app where members can book a slot and visit the venue. No sweets or fruits can be brought to the puja,” says Sanjay Bhattacharjee, general secretary.

The programme will be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube. Cultural programmes will include a painting competition, quiz and ‘family antakshari’.

The Kanakapura Road Bengali Association (KARBA) will host a low-key affair too. Ranadeb Paul, member of executive committee, says, “An app-based invitation will be sent out, with a specific QR code for each individual, which will be scanned at the entrance.”

Every year, a puja souvenir with articles, stories, poems, travelogues by members and invitees is published by the association. This year it will be published online.

“Since we are not sure about the immersion of the idol, the idol will be small in size,” he says.

Contests online

Sourov Moitra, secretary, Whitefield Cultural Association, says two lakh people used to visit their pandal in five days. “Even if 10 per cent turn up, it will be a nightmare,” he says, emphasising that safety is the prime concern.

Only organisers will be present at the puja venue this year, and the celebrations
will be streamed on Facebook.

“Online forms for pujas will be up. Pickup points for offerings will be designated 48 hours before the puja, and sweets will not be accepted as offerings since they cannot be sanitised,” he says.

Performances will be streamed online. “A drama based on Satyajit Ray’s stories will be showcased,” Sourov says.

The puja by Socio Cultural Association, Indiranagar will be hosted indoors this season.

Somick Goswami, vice president, says, “No offerings will be accepted this year. The ritual will be streamed online.” A lean hour for ‘darshan’ for the public is being planned.