Those who are in a fret over
not getting a new 'panjika' (almanac) in the run up to the Bengali New Year due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, there seems to be a ray of hope.
One of the publishers of the Bengali almanac is mailing auspicious occasions in the first month of the Bengali New Year to some of their regular customers.
The 'panjika', a ready reckoner for everyhing auspicious, sells like hot cakes before 'Poila Baisakh' which marks the beginning of the Bengali calender.
The Bengali New Year usually falls on April 14 or April 15.
But the situation is different this time, with the publishers unable to despatch the almanacs to the markets, in view of the lockdown.
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Adapting to the situation, the publishers of 'Bisuddha Siddhanto Panjika' have decided to mail the detailed list of the auspicious occasions in the first month of the Bengali calender to some of their regular customers.
"We had printed around 40,000 panjikas in the first phase as they are in high demand especially before 'Nabo Barsho' (New Year).
"But since delivery of these editions is not possible due to the lockdown, we are requesting our regular customers to send us their mail ids or social media contact details. We can send them the image of the 'Boisakh' page of the almanac through pdf attachment," publisher Suparno Lahiri said on Thursday.
He did not elaborate on the number of customers who had sent their details as the process has "just started".
Lahiri hoped that the print editions of the 'panjikas' will be despatched to the markets within few days after the lockdown is lifted.
The 'Bisuddha Sidhanto Panjika' is followed by a sizeable section of Bengali households and religious institutions like Ramakrishna Mission.
A spokesperson of another 'panjika' maker, 'Gupto Press Panjika', more popular among the general public, including most community Durga Puja committees, said "Our print editions are stocked in our printing press. We will be able to deliver only when transportation is allowed.'
She said as distributors could not come to their office, thousands of almanacs were lying unsold.
Prosenjit Pal, a trader, and Bappan Saha who runs a tailoring unit at Sodpur in North 24 Parganas district, are distraught for not getting the 'Gupto Press Panjika' which they buy before 'Nabo Barsho'.
"While I cancelled the customary 'Nabo Barsho' celebrations, I am looking forward to 'Akshay Tritiya' celebration, which is still some days away. But without the 'panjika', I cannot plan anything," Pal said.
Nirmal Dey, a septuagenarian, is unhappy that he is yet to get hold of the 'Gupto Press Panjika'.
"I am planning to hold a reception for my son's marriage in November. But before discussing it with my family priest, I believe in checking auspicious moments, planetary positions which are meticulously given in the almanac. But I was told by the publishers that they are helpless in the present situation," he said.
Pritam Moulik, a film production assistant in Mumbai currently stuck at his Kolkata home, also misses the excitement of flipping through the pages of the 'panjika'.
Meanwhile, the pandemic has caused a washout of 'Nabo Barsho' celebrations with big and small traders having scrapped the traditional ritual of holding Ganesh puja and starting the red-covered new account book (halkhata) after a performing puja on that day.
"Not a single trader has come to my shop to buy 'halkhata' this year. Even if the practice had been on decline for past several years, it has never been so bad. Just imagine Bengalis can't celebrate 'Poila Boisakh' this year. Had we ever imagined that such a thing would happen," Rabindra Koley, a 'halkhata' dealer said.
He said, 3,000 'halkhatas', printed before the lockdown, were lying unsold in his Rabindra Sarani shop.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
