Durga Puja celebrations commence across India amid shadow of COVID-19

[caption id=“attachment_10046511” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Durga Puja celebrations kick-started on Monday, 11 October, and will end with the immersion of idols on 15 October. Artisans have said that owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for idols has been lukewarm. PTI[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_10046531” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The West Bengal government has issued COVID-19 guidelines for the pandals. Like last year, the pandals will have to be open and spacious and organisers will have to ensure that no crowding takes place. PTI[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_10046571” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Hindu devotees carry girls dressed as Hindu goddess Durga for the ‘Kumari’ rituals during the Durga Puja festival at Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati on 11 October, 2021. AFP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_10046561” align=“alignnone” width=“649”] A Hindu priest takes photograph of an idol of goddess Durga during Durga Puja festival in Mumbai. AP[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_10046621” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A theme illustrating the post-pandemic future at the Shiv Mandir Puja pandal in South Kolkata. PTI[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_10046651” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A Durga idol enroute to a pandal. There are about 2,500 community pujas in Kolkata. PTI[/caption] With inputs from agencies