A pandal spanning the width of a road has been erected near the Jodhpur Park market to mark the foundation day of a streetside temple and organise a puja on the occasion of Janmashtami.

Members of the Jodhpur Park Baba Loknath Mandir Committee, which is organising the festivities on Tuesday and Wednesday, said nearly 1,000 devotees would be given prasad over two days. Three counters have been set up for that.

Many residents said they were scared about the possible impact of a large congregation in the heart of their neighbourhood at a time the number of Covid-19 cases is on the rise. Home to countless elderly people, this south Calcutta neighbourhood went to sleep on Monday night wondering if such celebrations could result in a spike in cases over the next fortnight.

An order issued by the Bengal chief secretary on June 8 said “maximum number of persons permitted to enter the places of worship at a time shall be limited to twenty-five (25)”.

A ministry of home affairs guideline issued on July 29 said “large public gatherings/congregations continue to remain prohibited”. It added that up to 50 people could be allowed for weddings and up to 20 for last rites or funerals.

The organisers of the Jodhpur Park puja defended the scale of the celebrations saying the arrangements “are modest” compared to what happened in previous years. They cited the reduced size of the pandal — “from 240ft-long last year to 40ft this time” — to drive home their point.

A member of the organising committee said they had cancelled illumination and a six-day fair, which was a fixture of the festivity, to prevent large gatherings.

“Who would keep a check on whether these people are wearing masks or maintaining a distance of at least six feet among themselves,” a resident told Metro.

Jodhpur Park residents’ other worry is that many traders from the Jodhpur Park market assemble for the celebrations. “If traders get infected in the gathering, residents may catch the virus from them in the market,” said a resident.

Lake police station is aware of the celebrations. An officer of the police station said the celebration had been allowed because it was being held for several years.

“They have informed us that they would perform the puja. They will follow government guidelines on holding such programmes,” the officer said.

Biswajit Ghosh, the secretary of Jodhpur Park Baba Loknath Mandir Committee, said they were “only holding the rituals but all other celebrations have been cancelled”.

“We used to have a six-day fair where nearly 30 stalls selling various items were set up. We had decorative lights done by artists from Chandernagore. All these have been cancelled to avoid a large gathering,” he said.