“On Maha Ashtami, on the day we offer Pushpanjali to Goddess Durga, all kinds of liquor outlets will be shut across the state. Even bars will not be allowed to serve alcohol,” the chief minister said at the Durga Puja coordination meeting held at Milan Mela near Science City in Kolkata.
Maha Ashtami falls on October 19 this year. Alcohol shops in Bengal usually remain open from Shashthi to Navami and generally remain closed on Dashami or Dussehra. This year, however, residents will have to account for an additional dry day during the Durga Puja celebrations.
Adhikari also announced a change in idol immersion arrangements, stating that cranes would no longer be used to retrieve idols after immersion in the Ganges.
“We will stop the use of cranes for lifting the idols after immersion. The sanctity and dignity of Maa Durga’s idol must not be desecrated in the process,” Adhikari said.
He said all idols should be immersed by October 24, a day before Lakshmi Puja, and stressed that immersion dates would be determined according to traditional panjikas rather than through administrative orders.
Adhikari further announced that Puja pandals would not be allowed to open before Mahalaya and appealed to organisers to preserve the religious and cultural identity of Durga Puja. DJs would also not be permitted during the festival or in immersion processions.
The government is seeking to ensure a smooth, safe and uninterrupted festival, Adhikari said. Kolkata Police and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation will set up joint control rooms, while civic and other agencies will coordinate on road repairs, street lighting, fire safety, power supply, transport and food hygiene.
The announcements introduce additional restrictions and changes to this year’s Durga Puja arrangements, including the Maha Ashtami alcohol ban, revised idol immersion practices and restrictions on pandal openings and DJs.
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