Festivals celebrated with caution amid pandemic

As the nationwide lockdown continued on Tuesday, the Sikh community in the city opted for a subdued Baisakhi festivities with religious ceremonies with a limited

As the nationwide lockdown continued on Tuesday, the Sikh community in the city opted for a subdued Baisakhi festivities with religious ceremonies with a limited number of people at gurudwaras.

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Earlier the community had planned grand Baishaki celebrations wherein three groups from Amritsar were expected to be in Mumbai for the celebrations. However, after the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, the event was cancelled.

Manmohan Singh, general secretary of Sri Guru Singh Sabha, popularly known as Dadar Gurudwara, which the apex body of gurudwaras in Mumbai, said that ever since March 20, they have reached out to around more than 1.5 lakh people, which includes patients in government hospitals and needy across the city, at places such as Antop Hill, Chembur and Mankhurd, among others.

The volunteers prepare meals at Dadar Gurudwara and give it to the civic body to distribute at hospitals and to local NGOs to feed the poor.

“It is Baisakhi every day because just as our Guru said that needy should be fed, true Guru ka langar is being served to those who actually need it,” said Singh.

Bengali community, which celebrated Bengali new year Pohela Boishakh on Tuesday, was hoping to conduct religious prayers on Akshay Tritiya on April 26, had the lockdown been called off on Tuesday.

Debashish Chatterjee, a Mulund resident, said, “Every year businessmen conduct Ganesh puja to mark the starting of new account books and calendars for Bengali businessmen. However, this year they conduced prayers at home instead of gathering together.”

“A lot of people go for celebrations organised by jewellers and purchase token jewellery to mark the new year. But, this year it was difficult to even get sweets. We brought a packed tin of rasgolla as fresh ones were not available,” said Chatterjee.

The other festivals that were celebrated on Tuesday include Tamil New year Puthandu, Odia new year Pana Sankranti, Assamese new year Bohag Bihu and Malayalam new year Vishu.