Calcutta High Court eases restrictions on pandals

One day before Bengal’s biggest festival begins, the Calcutta High Court eased its order which declared Durga Puja pandals as “no-entry zones” for visitors.

This was after 400 top Durga Puja organisers in the city appealed for a review of the order. The court said up to 45 people can enter at a time.

The organisers approached the court on Tuesday as part of the Durgotsav Forum, an umbrella body of Durga Puja organisers.

Traditional drummers will be allowed to perform in “a limited number”, just outside the no-entry zone at each pandal, the court said. The “list of persons allowed should be fixed on daily basis”. These lists will be put outside the pandals every day at 8 am.

Larger pandals with an area of more than 300 square metre can list up to 60 people but not more than 45 people can be allowed at a time. The smaller pandals can list up to 15 people.

The court refused to pass any orders on appeals to allow two important rituals of the Puja – Anjali and Sindoor
Khela.

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