Ganesh Chaturthi to be a somber affair this year; guidelines for Maharashtra, Pune, Goa, Delhi, Telangana, and Karnataka
Times of IndiaTIMESOFINDIA.COM|TRAVEL NEWS, INDIA
Updated : Aug 20, 2020, 14:35 IST
This year, with COVID-19 in the limelight, almost all other major festivals, events, and celebrations have taken a hit. Now, the immensely popular festival to suffer the blow is Ganesh Chaturthi, which will be a quiet affair this year. It is a festival, which in usual times, is celebrated with great pomp and show.
In light of the Coronavirus spread, state governments have now issued guidelines with regard to the festival. Reportedly, a number of city administrations have barred community celebrations, whereas in some places, long processions have been banned this year.
Here’s a look at guidelines set by the following states:
Delhi
- No community celebrations or large congregations will be allowed at public places. A fine of INR 50000 will be imposed on violators.
- Idol immersion in artificial ponds has been banned.
- The Delhi Police and civic bodies will be checking entry of vehicles carrying idols into the city.
- The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has barred installation of idols at public pandals.
- The pollution control body has urged people to perform a symbolic idol immersion ritual this year.
Maharashtra
- The government has capped the maximum idol height at 4 ft.
- All pandals to take prior permission from local authority or concerned municipality for Ganesh Utsav celebrations
- Even the idols bought for home cannot be taller than 2 ft.
- Processions will not be allowed.
- There should be no crowds during daily aarti and norms regarding noise pollution need to be followed
Goa
- Committees have been asked to limit celebrations to 1.5 days.
- Not more than 10 people should be allowed to attend the rituals at a time.
- Fireworks are not permitted.
- Individual celebrations should be restricted to members of the household alone.
- No Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations of any kind will be allowed in containment zones.
- Only two members of a family to be allowed for immersions.
- No common vehicle to be used for immersion. All parties must use their private vehicles.
- Immersions will be allowed between 5 PM and 10 PM at the Santa Monica Jetty; Miramar Beach; Ferry Warf, Panaji; Caranzalem Beach near Martins and Swimsea; Captain of Ports Jetty; Ferry Warf, Ribandar; Panaji; Four Pillars, Mala; Manaswada, Sao Pedro and Fondvem, Ribandar; Near Old PWD Office, Patto.
- No processions will be allowed while bringing the idol for immersion.
- Also, no gathering after immersion will be allowed.
Karnataka
- Celebrations can be held inside temples, public places like streets, front yards, public ground etc. and homes with fewer people than usual.
- The height of the Ganesh idol should not exceed 4 ft feet in public places, whereas those being brought home can’t be more than 2 ft.
- Each village and ward will be allowed to have just one pandal, and that too not more than 20 people will be allowed at a time.
- No public processions will be allowed while bringing the idol home, during installation or immersion.
- People must immerse their idols at home.
- Public Ganeshotsav organisers should immerse their idols within the locality.
- Wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing is compulsory.
Telangana
- The Telangana Government has urged people to celebrate the festival at home this year.
- The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority will procure and distribute 80000 clay idols among devotees, as part of its efforts to ensure that celebrations are restricted to homes.
- Idol immersion or installation will not be allowed in public places.
- Public celebration of the festival has also been prohibited.
Ganeshotsav festival guidelines issued by Pune Police
- Idols should be purchased online, as far as possible. Idols should not be sold on the roadside, and be sold only at allocated open spaces.
- No processions will be allowed during the arrival, installation or immersion of the idol.
- No crowding will be allowed at pandals. The number of devotees attending a puja should not exceed five at any point in time.
- Ganesh mandals associated with temples have been asked to keep their idols in their premises to perform rituals during the festival. As regarding others, the Pune Municipal Corporation will allocate small areas to set up pandals.
- Ganesh mandals have been asked to set up water tanks on their premises for immersion, as have residential societies for home idols
- The Aarogya Setu app should be mandatory for all the mandal office-bearers.
- All those present must follow COVID safety norms, such as wearing face masks, maintaining physical distancing, using sanitizers.
- Rituals should be performed only by mandal office-bearers. Devotees can witness them online, via video conferencing or mandal members can take videos and send them across.
- Devotees’ visits to pandals would be restricted through an online token system.
- Pandals will not be allowed to set up food stalls or any other shop on the premises.
- Mandals have been urged to organise blood donation camps or other welfare activities instead of cultural programmes, all adhering to all safety norms.
- Ganesh mandals have also been urged to not put up elaborate decorations to avoid drawing attention.
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