Durga Puja 2020 is almost here, and the biggest celebration of the Bengalis will be a low-key affair. It is quite unbelievable as Durga Puja every year is a mega festival. The celebration is so grand, especially in West Bengal where the streets are all covered in bright colours and lights to welcome Maa Durga. While a few pandals will be hosting Durga Puja 2020 keeping COVID-19 guidelines in mind, there are virtual ways to make the festival even more memorable. And that is what we are going to discuss here. If you are worried about how Durga Puja 2020 virtual celebration could be, you have arrived at the right place. From online mukh darshan to enjoy Pujor Bhog at home, here are five ways you can celebrate the Navratri festival this year. Navratri 2020 Colours Calendar For 9 Days: Date-Wise List of All 9 Colours to Wear Every Day During Sharad Navaratri Festival to Please Goddess Durga. 

1. Online Mukh Darshan

With the COVID-19 outbreak, Durga Puja associations across the country have decided to go for a small scale and intimate celebration. So, that devotees could enjoy Maa Durga’s mukh darshan from home, many pandal organisers will live stream the event for devotees to seek blessings of Maa Durga from home.

2. Live Streaming of Durga Puja Rituals

Just like Maa Durga’s online mukh darshan, the rituals and traditions of the festival will be turning to online platforms too. The priest will do virtual puja, and that will be live-streamed for all the members. In some pandals, pushapanjali will be offered virtually as well. For example, Durga Puja 2020 at the Salt Lake FD Block on the eastern fringes of Kolkata will not only live stream the puja on their Facebook page, but people will also be able to offer their prayers through the goddess virtually from home. Here's Why Durga Puja Will be Celebrated a Month After Mahalaya This Year. 

3. Cook Delicious Recipes at Home

Virtual or not, during Durga Puja, cooking Bengali special cuisine at home is a must. So, use this time to enhance your family bond and share the table together to relish in the mouth-watering recipes of various kinds of fish, mutton curry, and so much more.

4. Virtual Performances

The five days of Durga Puja is filled with a lot of entertainment. Various artists perform, and some committees also arrange for prominent performers. But because this year, the celebration will be limited, some pandals are hosting digital performances where singers, dancers and other artists will show their skill for viewers to enjoy from home.

5. Pujor Bhog

Eating pujor bhog at puja pandal with friends and families is a very significant ritual and something which will truly be missed this year. Some associations have come up with the idea to deliver bhog at your doorsteps.

The familiar crowded streets and serpentine queues before pandals will become a rare sight this year, but the spirit of Durga Puja celebration will remain alive, even amid the pandemic. Let us welcome Maa Durga the virtual way and make the festival memorable.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 06, 2020 05:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).