Live streaming of puja rituals, a last-minute alternative route so visitors can see the idol without entering the pandal, automated thermal guns to check the body temperature of those allowed in — organisers in the city remained true to the spirit of the Puja even in a Covid-hit world.

On Sashthi morning, puja organisers who made it to the top 12 briefed virtually the judges of the CESC The Telegraph True Spirit Puja (TSP) 2020, in association with David & Goliath, with Friends 91.9 FM as radio partner and ABP Ananda as television news partner.

The judges did not have to criss-cross the city in a convoy of cars but hopped from one pandal to another within a few seconds and the organisers briefed them about what they had done for a safe celebration.

For most puja organisers, Covid safety measures, social commitment during the lockdown and extending a helping hand to those hit by Cyclone Amphan were on top of their checklist.

For Vivekananda Park Athletic Club in Haridevpur, which was adjudged Four Star Puja, the priority was not spending the budget on puja paraphernalia but utilising it to buy an ambulance that will be given to the health department.

“We have kept the puja budget to a bare minimum and 80 per cent of the money that we raised have been spent to buy an ambulance. We thought it was more important to stand by the people during this pandemic,” said member Raja Chakraborty.

Tala Park Prattoy, a Three Star Puja, altered their entry route so that visitors can catch a glimpse of the idol and do not have to return disheartened.

“The police have demarcated the point up to which we can allow visitors. We are abiding by the rules. But we have also made an alternative route which was not there in the original plan. We incorporated it so that visitors can see the idol from a distance of more than 10 metres,” said an organiser while briefing the judges.

Another TSP veteran, Ajeya Sanghati in Haridevpur, adjudged Four Star Puja, impressed the judges with the use of automated thermal gun and a Covid waste bin to dispose of masks. They also stuck floor mats on the ground to demarcate the positions to maintain physical distancing.

“We didn’t make circles because it could get wiped off or washed away. We wanted to keep the demarcations prominent throughout the puja,” said the official while explaining to the judges.

Salkia Alapani in Howrah has been adjudged the Model Puja at the CESC The Telegraph True Spirit Puja (TSP) 2020, in association with David & Goliath, with Friends 91.9 FM as radio partner and ABP Ananda as television news partner. The Salkia Alapani idol was only half done in Kumartuli. From there, it travelled to Uluberia in Howrah, where zari workers were back home because of the pandemic and sitting idle without income. They dressed up Durga and her children. The pandal is interesting too: three types of clay found in Bengal have been pasted on the walls. Rashbehari Das

With a cap on the visitors in pandals, puja committees like Mudiali Club, another Four Star Puja, are live streaming rituals on social media platforms. Beliaghata 33 No. Palli Bashi Brinda, also Four Star, has made a new arrangement for anjali.

“We have not more than 27 houses in the neighbourhood. We have placed megaphones and asked them to offer anjali from their homes. We will collect the flowers during visarjan,” said an organiser of the puja.

Both Beliaghata 33 No. Palli Bashi Brinda and Dum Dum Tarun Dal have put up LCD screens for the crowd to see the idol from outside. Kakurgachi Yubak Brinda, another TSP veteran, will put up the screens for viewing. It was adjudged a Three Star Puja.

Dum Dum Tarun Dal, a Two Star Puja, scored not just for moving with the times and providing visitors a glimpse of the pandal or idol on the screen, but also because they stood by two pujas in Amphan-hit Hingalganj, in North-24 Parganas.

The Dum Dum Park club organised three pujas, one in the city and two in North 24- Parganas, where villagers, who are mostly dependant on pisciculture, lost their livelihood to Amphan and have no money to organise a puja.

Making it to the top 12 pujas this year was Tangra Gholpara Sarbojanin Durgotsav, where the pandal depicted a phoenix and a prayer to rise like one from the pandemic. It was adjud-ged a Three Star Puja.