Hyderabad: Durga Puja celebrations held amid strict Covid rules

Secunderabad: With everything falling back to normalcy, a large number of devotees were seen attending the Durga Puja celebration, hosted by the Vedanga Sanmilani at Teachers Colony Community Hall in Trimulgherry.

Speaking to The Hans India, Debajit Banerjee, core committee member, Vedanga Sanmilani said, "We are celebrating Durga puja for the last seven years. We have started the puja with an aim to bring all Bengalis together. What makes it different from other puja pandals is that it gives the essence of ancient Durga puja that was celebrated in Bengali households. Our organisation has been registered with the Telangana government and the 15 per cent of funds collected for puja will go to an orphanage and old age home."

"Every year, we try to create a traditional ambiance for devotees. The idol is based on traditional Ek Chala design that was used in Bengali households to worship Ma Durga. Keeping in mind the current pandemic situation, all Covid guidelines have been followed," said Sonja Dutta, a member of the committee, Vedanga Sanmilani, adding that the number of devotees has increased considerably over the last seven years.