The East Singhbhum district administration in Jharkhand has given conditional approval to an idol which is 26 feet high despite the state government’s Covid guidelines capping the height of idols at 5ft.

The Anand Ashram Durga Puja and Kali Puja Samity at Rocky Maidan area in Kagalnagar under Sonari police station will worship the goddess who stands 26ft tall.

“The organisers had to submit a written affidavit on the compliance of Covid guidelines including not closing the pandal on all four sides and barricading it to prevent the entry of visitors.

The other small pandal for placing the 5-foot idol of Durga adjacent to the main pandal.

“The affidavit also states that only the main organiser and his family members will be allowed to perform rituals inside the pandal. We had to take it as a special case as it pertained to a special vow of the main organiser.

“However, they would have to make a separate idol of 5ft height for the other committee members,” said Dhalbhum sub-divisional magistrate Sandeep Kumar Meena.

The founder president of the puja committee, Ashit Moitra, a resident of Adarshnagar in Sonari, explained the reason for building the idol in violation of the Covid guidelines stipulated by the government.

“We had hired sculptors from Kumartuli in Calcutta and had started making the idol in May this year. The work was 90 per cent complete by August.

“The state government guidelines for Durga Puja came out only on September 15. I had made a religious vow when I began the committee in 2012 that on the 10th year of the festivity I would make a huge idol of goddess Durga. I had to fulfil that vow. I got the support from several political leaders and the Jharkhand Central Durga Puja Samity who approached the district administration.

“I am thankful to the district administration which has allowed me conditional approval,” said Moitra.

He reiterated that the puja committee would be abiding by all directives of the district administration.

“We have made two pandals with one hosting the main idol of 26ft which has been closed from all sides and barricaded. Only my family members are allowed to worship the main idol.

“We have a separate pandal with a 5ft high idol for the other committee members. The local police station has deputed personnel to ensure that no other person enters the pandals,” said Moitra.

The main idol costs nearly Rs 2.65 lakh while the other idol has been made for only Rs 13,000.

Sources said that local Jamshedpur West MLA and Jharkhand health and disaster management minister Banna Gupta helped the puja committee in getting the district administration’s approval.

Gupta’s residence at Uliyan in Kadma is around 3km from the Rocky Maidan area in Sonari.