SHILLONG, Oct 11: The stage is set for Durga Puja celebrations in the state and the spirit this time is high as the flow of people into commercial places has seen a significant surge in the last couple of days in the wake of a seemingly de-escalating COVID-19 scenario.
Police Bazar and Iewduh areas, particularly, have been seeing a huge rush day after day over the period of last one week. This has also paved way to traffic snarls in some parts of the city.
As many as 261 community and private pandals will be set up across the state including 127 in Khasi Hills, 12 in Jaintia Hills and 122 in Garo Hills, informed Central Puja Committee (CPC) general secretary, JL Das. This time, most of the pandals will be without any decoration and illumination, he added.
As far as Shillong is concerned, a total of 60 community pandals will be set up, besides six private organisers will also hold celebrations separately.
Talking about idols, JL Das said that as many as 47 community pandals will install idols.
Nearly 100 per cent members of puja committees including priests and drum beaters are fully vaccinated, Das said, while adding that the CPC has also specified that visitors with symptoms of COVID will not be allowed to enter any pandal.
In view of the ongoing pandemic, all annual functions such as get-togethers, competition among puja pandals and VIP visits, etc, have been cancelled.
Traders’ woes
Nonetheless, business for traders in commercial hubs of the city is not appealing.
Most of the shopkeepers say that their sales are unlike the pre-COVID times, even as they claim that online shopping has added to their woes.
According to some shopkeepers, sales picked up during the last two-three days. But again, it was not impressive, they reckoned.
Moreover, the weather forecast for days of Durga Puja is expected to be normal, barring few instances of light rain and thundershower.
An official from the Indian Metrological Department said that chances of heavy rainfall in Shillong and the state in the next four days are very less, while adding that there may only be few spells of light shower.
It is also worth mentioning that quite a number of tourists have arrived in Shillong for puja celebrations, hoteliers say, even as they have said that these guests will stay for three or four days at most.
Artisans, who albeit are busy with works for clients, have lamented that their business has been affected ever since the pandemic hit the state. “In recent years, I was making around 50 idols but nowadays, I make around 35 idols only,” an artisan said.
