Mysuru Gujarati, Bengali associations prefer simple Navaratri

With the Covid-19 pandemic taking away the sheen from 'Naada Habba' Dasara, which attracts lakhs of people to Mysuru, the Mysore Gujarati Samaj and Bengali Association of Mysuru too have scaled down the celebrations, this year, limiting to simple puja rituals.

Gaurav Shah of Mysore Gujarati Samaj said that this year, no celebrations have been organised in the wake of the Covid impact. "Dandia Raas and Garba are cancelled, as they attract a large crowd. However, members of the samaj and their family members participate in the aarathi held at 8.30 pm every day. We hope for a grand event next year, after the people wade through the current crisis," he said.

The Samaj celebrates Navaratri every year, in a traditional style, with Dandia and Garba on all the nine days of the festival. The 'Dandia Nite' had become a great hit among the people, especially youths. Traditional Gujarati band and DJs used to participate, to make the event more colourful and memorable.

Debashis Sinha of Mysuru Bengali Association said, "Durga puja is the main festival for Bengalis, during Navaratri. The annual Durga puja, that used to be held at a Choultry on KRS Road, has been limited to a simple aarathi to a portrait of the Goddess this year, with only a few participants."

"Usually, puja rituals will be held in the morning and cultural programmes in the evening, along with a variety of games and competitions. But, this year, we are following safety methods, to prevent the spread of Covid pandemic and cancelled all the events. We have organised a simple 'Ghot puja', at Anjaneyaswamy temple near CFTRI, from October 22 to 26. It would be simple ceremony by following Covid guidelines," he said.

The association used to get artisans from West Bengal every year, to make the idols of Goddess Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswathi, Ganesha and Karthik. The idols used to be taken out on a grand procession on Vijayadashami Day and immersed in River Cauvery.