The high court on Thursday allowed several relaxations for Durga Puja that would ensure greater community participation in rituals and popular customs but would only be applicable to people fully vaccinated against Covid.
A division bench headed by Justice I.P. Mukerji allowed community pujas to perform aarati, anjali and sindoor khela but made it clear that only those who had got both doses of Covid vaccines would be allowed to take part in them.
“The organisers will have to allow the persons who intend to take part in sindoor khela and other Puja rituals inside pandals only after verifying whether they have taken both (doses of) vaccines,” Justice Mukerji said.
Sindoor khela and aarati were among the rituals and customs that were prohibited in community pujas last year.
The state government had on Tuesday come out with rules for Durga Puja 2021, providing some leeway for customs like sindoor khela.
The October 5 notification of the government says customs like sindoor khela will be organised by puja committees in a “planned manner and to the extent possible in smaller groups with spaced-out timings in a staggered way”.
Earlier, the bench had said the Covid norms that were followed by community puja organisers last year would have to be followed this year, too, as the state government wanted that.
On Thursday, an advocate alleged before the bench that the state administration was not taking any initiative to obey the orders regarding the Puja. After hearing the plea, the bench summoned the advocate-general.
The advocate-general told the court that many people who were fully vaccinated were questioning the restrictions on their participation in the puja.
Hearing the state’s view, the court modified its earlier order.
“A little review of the directions is necessary with the improvement in the Covid situation and administration of double vaccination to a substantial number of people," Thursday's order says.
Other restrictions like barring visitors’ entry within 25 metres of a pandal and those related to dhakis will remain in force this year, too.
On the lines of a court order issued a day before Durga Puja 2020, the court has allowed up to 45 people, from a list of 60 to be prepared in advance, to enter the pandal at a time.
In case of smaller pujas, 25 people may be named on the list but only 15 are allowed to stay inside the pandal at a time.
The relaxation had come in an order passed on October 21, 2020, following an appeal by big puja organisers such as Ekdalia Evergreen and Telengabagan.
The court had earlier said all pujas mentioned in the police guide would be considered as big pujas.
The court said on Thursday all of those whose names would be on the lists must be fully vaccinated against Covid. All of them may not be members of the respective organising committees.
The committees will have to hand the lists to the local police stations.
Puja committee members and others who will take part in the rituals have to wear masks.
