West Bengal govt guidelines for Durga Puja 2020:

Spacious open pandals: The state government has directed all organisers to ensure that puja pandals are spacious and are open from all sides, with separate entry and exit points for visitors.

Masks and hand santisers: The organisers will have to ensure that all visitors wear masks at all times and use hand santisers before entering the puja pandal. The organisers will have to distribute masks and santisers in the close vicinity of the pandal for people who might have come to puja without one.

Decongested rituals: Puja organisers have been asked to stagger rituals so that people can attend in smaller groups. The priests will use microphone while reciting prayers to ensure people can hear them while maintaing social distancing. Visitors have also been encouraged to bring their offerings like flowers from home to avoid crowds at stalls near pandals.

No cultural programme: The government has banned cultural programmes inside or near the puja pandals.

No carnival: The state government has cancelled the state carnival this year and has banned any fair or carnival near the pandals.

Spacing out festivities over larger number of days: The government has suggested that puja organisers can plan to space out festivities over a larger of number of days to ensure that all rituals can be carried out with small crowds. Puja committees should make necessary advance planning that facilitates visit Puja pandals from Tritia itself, the state government guidelines said.

Low-key award judging: The government guidelines advocate for virtual judging of pandals. But if there has to be a physical visit by the judges then the number will have to be limited. Maximum two cars of the judging party can visit the pandal at a time.

Emphasis one electronic and social media: The state government, in its guidelines for Durga Puja 2020, has asked the organisers to use electronic and social media as far as possible to reach out to devotees, curbing the need for them to visit pandals.

Low-key inaugurations and immersions: The government has asked participants to keep inauguration a minimalist affair with no pomp and grandeur. For immersion, the organisers will have to follow pre-allotted ghat timings. The Durga idols will have to be taken directly to the ghat without any stopovers.

Online permission: The state government has directed concerned departments to make permission -obtaining procedures online. To facilitate puja in a Covid restricted environment, the Mamta Banerjee government has offered a slew of benefits for the puja committees. These benefits include free fire brigade services, tax rebate to corporations and panchayats, 50 per cent concessions on electricity for puja organisers in Kolkata and West Bengal and years of puja permissions for some organisers

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