The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday banned Chhath Puja processions in West Bengal and allowed only two people per family to enter a body of water to offer puja.
Furthermore, devotees have been banned from entering two of the largest lakes in the city, Rabindra Sarobar and Subhas Sarobar. Previously, the National Green Court (NGT) had banned Chhath Puja in Rabindra Sarobar.
“The court has banned the Chhath Puja processions. Only two people from a family can enter any body of water to bid. Devotees coming in vehicles will have to maintain social distance and not everyone will be allowed to get out, ”said Sabyasachi Chatterjee, attorney for the superior court.
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Other family members will have to observe Chhath Puja from home or in and around your home. The use of masks has been made mandatory at all stages.
In early November, the high court had banned cookie popping during all pujas, including Kali Puja and Chhath Puja.
The police have also been ordered to ensure that no crackers are sold or used in Kolkata, as the high court and the NGT have already banned them until November 30.
Despite the NGT ban, hundreds of devotees opened the doors of Rabindra Sarobar in November 2019 to perform Chhath rituals. They even broke cookies and beat drums in the Sarobar, although the government had assigned alternative bodies of water in the city for the performance of the rituals. The incident made headlines and sparked a lot of controversy.
“As regards Subhas Sarobar and Rabindra Sarobar, in view of the subsisting order of the NGT, these bodies of water will be totally off limits for the Chhath Puja celebrations,” the Calcutta high court said on Tuesday in its order.
The state was ordered to impose restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC to restrict the number of people in any area to restrict people.
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