Don't let the Coronavirus dim the shine of your festive fervour. Celebrate Navratri in style and pray to Goddess Durga this pujo, albeit a little differently. We are not the ones saying this; it's the Bombay Durga Bari Samiti, one of our city's oldest pujo committees, that was established in 1930. Owing to the pandemic and the unfeasibility of maintaining physical distancing in the crowd that the Samiti's pandal is bound to attract, the organisers have decided to move the pujo celebrations to the virtual space. They have also opted for a ghoto (urn) pujo against a 3D backdrop of the goddess. In-house talent Arunima Bhattacharya has been roped in to work on the backdrop. "Durga Puja is the celebration of the victory of good over evil. One of the greatest challenges that we face today is the ongoing pandemic. The threat to our world is greater than ever," says Susmita Mitra, the president of the Samiti.

Susmita Mitra