Decorators, tent house owners and caterers, who are in the red because of lockdown restrictions, are now seriously concerned at the very likely prospect of low-key Durga Puja this year.
So far, not one of them has received a booking from any puja committee. Notably, more than 300 community pujas are held every year and usually, work on pandals begin by late August.
“As Puja is likely to be low-key with the majority of committees giving orders for small, 4feet by 5feet pandals, we don’t see much of a demand this year,” said Pradeep Singh, president of Dhanbad Decorators’ Association.
Singh admitted that after suffering huge losses during the last six months due to the lockdown, they were pinning their hopes on Durga Puja. “But our hopes are dashed as we expect less than 20 per cent income this year. That’s because 100 of the total 300 pujas will have budgets less than Rs 1 lakh.
“Majority of puja committees will not erect any pandal and hold the puja within their own residential or club premises,” he added.
General secretary of Dhanbad Zila Decorators’ Association Purushottam Kumar agreed. “The income of a number of professionals like florists, painters and suppliers of children’s rides for fairs will be drastically hit,” he said.
The only silver lining, he said, was that the number of guests allowed for weddings had been increased to 100 from the earlier 50 existing 50 after September 21. “But not many marriages are likely to be held in this lagan as people are themselves apprehensive about safety,” said Kumar.
Shyamal Sen, founder member of Navyuvak Sangharsh Samiti, which organises one of the best pujas at Manaitand locality of Dhanbad, said, “Though a final decision with regard to puja will be taken during a meeting of all puja committees with the district administration on September 6, there is no doubt that Puja will be a low-key affair.”
Sen, a retired office superintendent of SSLNT Women’s College and a renowned artist, said that a number of his students who used to make good money during this time, were already in despair at the thought of a low-key Puja.
