UK's Durga Puja and Diwali celebrations turn virtual amid COVID-19; fun events lined up

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the celebration of festivities in Leicester as this year the Leicester City Council has decided to host the city’s first ever virtual Diwali Day celebration. The celebrations that usually used to take place at the arterial Belgrave Road have now been shifted online. As per the official website, there will be no crowded gatherings for the traditional entertainment and fireworks.

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Virtual Diwali celebrations

Deputy city mayor Cllr Piara Singh Clair said in a statement, “We all need to find different ways to celebrate important festivals like Diwali and Christmas this year. Although we can’t meet up with our extended families in person this year, our virtual Diwali celebration will help bring people together for an experience they can share with a family member or a friend – wherever they are in the world. We hope that people will enjoy recording their messages, and we look forward to sharing as many of them as possible as part of our Diwali Day programming”.

An hour-long package will be streamed online and the public can send in their personal video messages. According to the guidelines on the official website, each video should be shot on a mobile phone in landscape format with a length of 30-45 seconds. Also, it should be recorded in English. 

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Apart from this, the virtual Diwali get together will feature music, story-telling and dance. Also, the traditional lighting of the diva lamp will be conducted. Firework footage from previous years will be included in the virtual event as there will be no real fireworks like previous years. The giant wheel of light will be there this year as well. However, strict rules and social distancing measures will be followed, keeping in mind the pandemic situation. As per the official website, “temperature checks will be carried out, customers will be required to wear face coverings when queuing, and they will also be asked to sanitise their hands before and after their ride”.

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(Image Credits: Twitter/Leicester_News)