Mamata Banerjee virtually inaugurates Durga Puja pandals across West Bengal

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday inaugurated Durga Puja pandals in 69 places in the state through video conferencing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, Durga Puja will be celebrated from October 23 to October 26.

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday launched the festival season in West Bengal inaugurating Durga Puja in 69 places in the virtual mode and said though the festivities were not being held in many states the TMC government did not stop it in Bengal considering the people's sentiments.

She inaugurated 69 pujas in the northern districts of the state and in Nadia.

Banerjee iterated her call to puja committees and to the people to celebrate the festival observing all COVID-19 regulations, including maintaining the required distance in the marquees.

"We will seek blessings from the goddess and worship her with all safety precautions ... People have been under lots of hardship and stress due to COVID-19 and lockdown. They are mentally under stress. Pray to Maa Durga to bring us out of the corona crisis" she said.

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Durga Puja, Banerjee said, is a festival which unites people of different linguistic identities, different communities.

"It is the festival of people speaking in Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, Ol chiki and Kamtapuri who join hands to invoke the goddess. It is the festival of different communities," she said.

Banerjee asked the administration to provide help to Durga pujas organised by women.

She also inugurated puja pandals of Naktala Udayan Sangha and Ahiritola Sarbojonin in south and north Kolkata respectively.

(PTI)