MUMBAI: Stepping out for some fun or staying at home in fear might be the lingering question even on Sasthi morning or the sixth day of Navratra as the lure of
Durga Puja after months of restraint beckons. However, given the Covid count that threatens to spike during festive season, the Bandra
Durga
Puja, in association with The Times of India, will offer devotees virtual options to watch the puja from the safety of their home amid the pandemic.
Also known as the Notunpalli Sarbojonin Durgotsab, Bandra’s 49-year-old Durga puja — instituted by veterans of Indian cinema like
Pramod Chakravorty,
Shakti Samanta and Basu Chatterji and patronised by the likes of former Maharashtra chief ministers Vasant Dada Patil and S B Chavan to Bollywood stalwarts
Sunil Dutt, Hemant Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan — has been an elaborate affair for decades that has witnessed a footfall of over four lakh enthusiasts over five days of puja.
As Covid-19 changed the form of this big-ticket puja — commonly organised at Patwardhan Park that shifted to a smaller venue at the
Bandra
Hindu Association with a 4ft Durga idol to ensure safety — the celebrations took a virtual leap in 2020. Like last year, the morning pushpanjali, evening aarti, and other puja rituals will, once again, be broadcast live from the pandal over Notunpalli and TOI’s social media pages that one can tune into.
All one needs to do is register one-time at www.bandradurgapuja-.com. After the free registration, the user will receive an SMS before every aarti with a link to where the livestreaming can be accessed every day from October 11 to 14.
“Like last year, it’s going to be a small affair keeping all the Covid protocols in mind, but despite the restrictions we’re trying to make the most of the circumstances by having cultural performances every evening,” said
Naba Kumar Daas
, member of the Notunpalli puja committee. “While our members and their families will sing, dance and recite poetry, we will also have professional singers performing various genres of music, all of which will be livestreamed on our social media platforms.”
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