BHUBANESWAR : After a low key Durga Puja, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday issued fresh guidelines for the other festivals that will be observed till November in its bid to curb transmission of Covid-19 in the Capital City.
While the numbers are going down in the other parts of the State, Bhubaneswar continues to have a high daily infection count. In its notification, the BMC stated that there will be restrictions on congregation of Kartika Brata ‘habishyalis’ in temples during the month of Kartika. No congregation will be allowed at Bindu Sagar, river ghats and other water bodies on the occasion of Kartika Purnima and Boita Bandana.
Municipal Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Singh stated that Laxmi puja and Kali puja will be conducted in indoor like condition only for observance of rituals without any public participation, pomp and grandeur. Like Durga puja, the idol size will be less than 4 feet.
The mandaps or pandals will also be covered from all sides and there will be a ban on public darshan.
As per the guidelines, during the puja period there will be no religious procession of any kind or musical or entertainment programme by the puja committees, clubs, or public.
There will also be no immersion procession by the organisers. The idols if required will be immersed in the artificial ponds to be created by BMC for the purpose. The State capital reported 194 cases against 183 recoveries in the last 24 hours pushing the active case tally of the city to 3,561.