BENGALURU: In view of the
pandemic
, many
Durga Puja organisers in the city are tapping technology to
celebrate
the
festival
this year.
Rudra Shankar Roy, a philanthropist and patron of many Bengali associations, said organisers are planning to livestream celebrations on all five days — October 22 to October 26.
Some organisers are planning to launch the concepts of e-sankalpa (where puja is performed to the goddess in an individual’s name and gotra) and e-pushpanjali (floral offering).
Roy said virtual pujas are the norm for NRIs. “We are adopting the practice here because of the pandemic situation,” he said. In such pujas, the pandit sits in front of the idol and completes rituals on the devotee’s behalf.
Among the many organisers adapting to the new normal is
Bengali Association
for the Residents of Sarjapur and HSR Layout Area (BARSHA), which will livestream puja,
aarti
and pushpanjali on Facebook and YouTube.
Priyanka Sinha Roy, core committee member of BARSHA, said earlier they used to witness a footfall of nearly 3,000 every day, but this time, most of the devotees will participate in their puja virtually. “We will have multiple cameras to capture different angles of the pandal and keep it interesting for our viewers. People can participate from their homes, while the pandit performs pushpanjali on their behalf at the venue,” she said.
The association has roped in popular artistes from Kolkata — Srikanto Acharya, Rupankar Bagchi, Anindya Bose (of Poroshpathar fame) among others — who will present live online concerts from their studios.
Harmony Cultural Welfare Association’s Harmony Mahotsav will also enable people perform puja from their living rooms. Ramachandran Nair, president, said they are following all BBMP guidelines to make the event safe and memorable.
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