Ganesh Chaturthi, one of the greatest festivals of Maharashtra that attracts substantial crowd is just about the corner and the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to avert the danger of the growing spread of Covid-19 infections has banned processions throughout the festival.
Ganesh mandals have been provided permission to erect pandals following the directions of the civic body. In Pune, Ganesh festival is celebrated for 10 -days and attracts vacationers from all across the nation and abroad. Decorations of the pandal and the extravagant processions are its greatest attraction.
Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar order stated the festival will be observed in a very simple manner as per the state’s path. The mandals want to take permission from the civic body and stick to directions concerning celebrations although sustaining current restrictions. Procession throughout installation and immersion of idols is prohibited. Also, children and senior citizens are advised to stay clear of such gatherings like immersion.
The maximum height of the idol must be 4 feet although that of home idols can be two feet, Kumar stated. Kumar additional advised devotees to set up Ganesh idols made of eco-friendly supplies like metal or stone. If it is made of sand, the immersion can be completed at home or else at an artificial water tank supplied by the PMC.
The order additional stated that the Ganesh mandals can not pressurise persons for donation. No marketing billboards will be place out and rather, well being camps and public awareness applications must be organised by the committees. Also, there must be an arrangement for a live telecast of the festival on social media handles and nearby cable networks to resist more than-crowding.
Moreover, the mandals have been instructed to sanitise the pandal region on a regular basis, introduce a thermal scanning facility at the entrance for devotees and monitor absolutely everyone is wearing masks, and sustaining a physical distance.
Last year throughout the ragging pandemic, the Ganesh mandals have been asked to set up idols ata temple premises and not at pandals by the civic body. The age-old tradition of pilgrimage from Pune to Pandharpur has also been named off, the secound consecutive year maintaining the Covid circumstance in thoughts. Other festivals like Bakri Eid have been also a low-crucial affair this year.
Meanwhile, Mayor Murlidhar Mohol is not delighted more than non-relaxations of Covid-19 restrictions by the Maharashtra government in Pune regardless of the reduction in everyday positivity price and has been demanding permission to let shops stay open for a longer period to provide relief to traders. “We request the state to take a decision on it immediately,” Mohol stated.