The renowned Bastar Dussehra celebrated in Jagdalpur city in Chhattisgarh with great pomp and show year after year will be a dull affair this time, thanks to Covid-19.
This time the festival will be organized from October 16 to 31. The wooden chariot decked with flowers of Goddess Danteshwari will be in Jagdalpur and will be pulled from October 18 to 23, a press release said on Monday.
As per tradition, people from 32 villages of Jagdalpur Tehsil and four villages of Tokapal Tehsil will self-volunteer to pull the chariot.
Seeing the threat of corona pandemic, the Bastar District administration has framed strict rules and guidelines for gathering of the faithful.
Only 400 devotees will be allowed to attend the function this year. All of them will have to get tested for Covid and only those showing negative will be allowed, said the press release.
From the 36 villages, around 15 people will be permitted to be part of the chariot pulling service. The administration will facilitate their accommodation in Jagdalpur in a special isolation centre.
For the selection of the religious volunteers, the District administration has set up special teams of Patwari, village panchayat secretary kotwars and others.
Common people will be allowed to participate in the religious festivities only if they carry special passes. The passes will be issued by the SDM, the communique added.