With Diwali around the corner, the Tripura government has issued guidelines, including a ban on bursting firecrackers, amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The set of 18 guidelines issued by chief secretary Manoj Kumar make social distancing, face masks mandatory for puja committee members and visitors. As Kali Puja is organised during Diwali, the guidelines said that the idol cannot be over five feet tall.
In order to avoid crowds at the pandals, the government has ordered that they be kept open and has prohibited fairs and cultural programmes in front of the pandals. Puja organisers have also been asked to bring idols to pandals without any kind of procession.
At least five visitors would be allowed to visit the pandal at a time and they need to stand at a metre’s distance from the pandal. The club organisers have been asked to sanitise the pandals three times on the day of puja and make hand sanitisers and face masks readily available near the pandal.
Those who are organising Kali puja at homes can invite 15-20 guests. The government would set different guideline for puja at Tripuradundari temple in Udaipur, 50 kilometres from Agartala. Tripuradundari is one of the 51 Hindu Shaktipeethas or holy shrines.
