Maha Saptami Being Celebrated Today, Amid Strict Covid Restrictions

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Bhubaneswar: Today is the holy day of Maha Saptami. The seventh day of the Navratri festival is celebrated as Maha Saptami.

During the grand Durga Puja festivity of nine days, there is vital importance of the seventh day which is observed as Maha Saptami.

As per the Hindu calendar, the day is celebrated in the month of Chaitra during Shukla Paksha on Saptami.

On this particular day of Maha Saptami, devotees wake up early morning, take a bath in sacred water and offer prayers to Goddess Shakti.

Sacred meal (Bhog) is prepared in which special dishes are offered to the deity which is then distributed among the invitees as Prasad.

Pandals are set and are adorned with lights and garlands.

As per the rituals and traditions, on the day of Maha Saptami, Maha Puja begins and devotees also perform Kalratri Puja.

According to the latest Covid guideline for the month of October and the ongoing festive seasons in the State, night curfew shall be imposed from 8 PM to 5 AM from today till October 20 in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack cities.

Reportedly, all the shops, malls, restaurants shall be open till 8 pm. All religious festivals/ festivities/ functions shall be held/ celebrated/ observed as per the Covid guidelines. “This is a critical period as there may be a tendency to ignore COVID – safe behaviour during festivals, resulting in large gatherings, events, fairs etc.

It is critical to enforce adherence to guidelines to allow festivities in a cautious, safe and Covid appropriate manner. Any laxity in implementation of Covid Appropriate Behavior could lead to serious consequences and can result in a surge in cases,” stated the order.

As many as 32 platoon police force including 100 police officers and more than 150 home-guards will be deployed at 20 check posts in Cuttack. A special drive against open drinking in public places all over the city is underway, informed Cuttack DCP Prateek Singh.

Around 41 habitual offenders have been held before the onset of Durga Puja, while a list of rest 203 offenders have been prepared and a manhunt has been initiated to apprehend them. The police officers will be stationed at various stations in plain clothes in order to keep a strict check on the night curfew regulations.

Odisha government also prohibited the sale and use of firecrackers during this festive month with an aim to protect the health of general public and to curb the spread of infection in the State, added reports.

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