The coronavirus did what wars could not. The over-100year-old Ram Navami Mela at Nivaranpur, supposed to be held on Ram Navami, Thursday, was totally scrapped for the first time in its history.

The open space near Tapovan Mandir, where normally thousands would throng on this day, was now vacant on Thursday in view of the ongoing lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19. The temple was deserted. Processions by Ram Navami akharas were also not taken out. These processions, in other years, culminate at the Ram Navami Mela.

Rajeev Ranjan, a resident of the area who is actively involved with the mela for decades, said: “In view of the current situation, there was no option left but to cancel it as any gathering of such magnitude is a health risk now.”

Agreed Subrata Dutta, a sexagenarian born and brought up in the same locality. “We are missing the mela that is a part of our annual cultural calendar, but there is no alternative. It’s for the first time in a century that the mela was totally scrapped this year.”

His neighbour Bibek Ghosh said that even during a grave law and order problem back in the early 1980s, the Ram Navami Mela had to be postponed owing to a Section 144 clampdown, but never cancelled.

However, residents said the mela was meant for get-together and entertainment, but survival came first.

“It will again be held next year if people are safe,” said Ghosh.

The only consolation was that power supply was undisturbed on Thursday, which usually never happens on Ram Navami, as supply is usually suspended to facilitate processions with tall Mahavir jhandas. This time, there was no procession.