The famous puja of Chatterjee family, during which more than 20 members of the extended family of Apurba Kumar Chatterjee (73) settled abroad used to participate every year, will be devoid of the usual sheen this year, as no one from abroad will participate due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We had decided on a grand get-together this year with more than forty members of our family settled in USA, UK, Australia and Canada, but fate had other plans. No one from abroad can come due to the present conditions,” said Chatterjee, a retired administrative officer of the LIC of India, talking to The Telegraph Online on Monday.

“Some of our family members living in Jamshedpur and Calcutta have decided to come via car, but we are not sure whether they will be able to. However, we will organize our puja at home at Chiragora at Dhanbad on a small scale with an idol of less than four feet,” he said.

Chatterjee said the 120-130 family members who come during Durga Puja every year are accommodated at their palatial home.

“Some of our neighbours also help in accommodating our family members as they also participate in our puja,” he said.

The idol of Goddess Durga at the Chatterjee family Durga Puja mandap at Chiragora, Hirpur in Dhanbad last year Gautam Dey

Regarding the huge expense for puja, Chatterjee, said that those having jobs have to contribute six days of their salary income while those in business contribute 10 days of their average per-day income.

“But the retired persons have to contribute nothing,” said Chatterjee, and added that every year the guests from abroad as well as other parts of the country like Banglore, Goa, Jamshedpur, Calcutta arrive on Panchami, and after enjoying the puja they return on Dashami, or a day or two later.

“We don’t organize any fair or anything special in our puja but since so many people of our family from across the world participate, it is quite famous in the coal town and elsewhere,” he said.

The combined family puja started in 1979 during the lifetime of the septuagenarian’s father Amrit Kantha Chatterrjee, who settled here in 1921 and worked in the colliery.

He later shifted to Dhanbad town after an accident in the colliery in the early 1930s, said Chatterhee, adding that the family members of all six brothers of his father as well as eight of his own brothers take part in the puja.

“My elder son, an engineer settled in Houston, along with his wife and children also get the opportunity to visit his birth place during puja only,” said Chatterjee and added that his daughter, who is married to a UK-based doctor, also visits her ancestral place during Puja.

“My younger son, who operates the Jack and Jill school, lives along with the family at Dhanbad,” said Chatterjee.

Out of eight of his brothers, five are alive and two others besides him are living in Dhanbad and help in organizing the puja.