Kharchi Puja begins today morning

Unlike previous years, there were no crowds, no microphones, or no stages. The cultural evenings were also not going to take place. The traditional Kharchi Puja festival began this morning with minimal arrangements just to perform the traditional seven-day long ritual. Amidst the light rainfall, cloudy sky, and the Covid 19 pandemic, Chantai (top priest) performed beginning rituals of the festival.

On the Puja, BDO of Old Agartala Block Sudipta Biswas said, “We have chalked out a guideline to hold the festival following the Covid 19 pandemic. The aged people and the children below the age group of 10 are suggested not to enter the temple taking into consider the ICMR guidelines”.

We have arranged a thermal screening facility for all the devotees who will enter the temple premises. The CMO West has been approached by us for setting up such a facility as people are expected to visit the temple to offer prayers. The screening facility will stay there for all the seven days, Biswas added.

Speaking about a chart of guidelines that were to be followed during the Puja, he said, “Wearing a mask is mandatory for every person willing to enter the temple to join the prayer. Nobody will be allowed to touch the serving priests, no one can offer offerings, nobody will be allowed to offer flowers or other things that were allowed in previous years. The devotees can go and follow the rituals”.

MLA Ratan Chakraborty said, “This is a very monotonous moment for us because we are unable to organize our festival, the way it should be done. The matter of public safety comes first and thus the rituals of Kharchi will be performed taking all the restrictions into account. Let’s hope next year, the Puja will be organized in a grand manner”.