Maha issues guidelines, directs mandals to provide online darshan

Andheri Cha Raja during last year's Ganesh Chaturthi festival

Ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Mumbai and across Maharashtra, the state home department issued guidelines for the festival which will be celebrated in the last week of August. Taking into account the coronavirus pandemic, the department directed all Ganpati mandals to stream darshan via Facebook live, cable television, websites, and other modes of online mediums.

According to the notification, the height of idols installed by Ganpati Mandals should be restricted to only four feet while those installed at home cannot be taller than two feet. The mandals have also been urged to postpone the immersion of idols and people have been urged to use metal or marble Ganesh idols at home.

The guidelines come in the wake of the spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Pune, and other urban areas of Maharashtra. The Home Ministry has also urged mandals to conduct health camps, blood donation camps and create awareness on how to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

'Darshan' facility should be provided online through Facebook or other media or through cable networks, the notification said. As per the notification, these directions are to prevent crowding and ensure the health and safety of people. "We have asked people to keep the immersion process simple and not gather near rivers or the sea," an official said.

The guidelines also directed mandals to ensure that there is no crowding during daily 'aarti' and noise pollution norms are strictly followed. On the other hand, the guidelines state that Ganpati mandals should accept only voluntary donations, and the advertisements should focus on health awareness and social messages.

Talking about Ganesh Visarjan, the notification asked mandals to consider immersion of idols during the Maghi Ganesh Chaturthi which falls in February or during the next year's Ganesh Chaturthi festival. Besides, the Ganesh Pandals have been asked to provide sanitization and thermal screening facilities at all times.

Taking to Twitter, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh shared a list of guidelines and said that in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, the state government has decided to celebrate this year's Ganeshotsav in a simple manner. Deshmukh urged mandals to support the government by following the guidelines issued.

Speaking to Mumbai Mirror, principal secretary (special) of the Home Department, Amitabh Gupta, said, "We have come up with guidelines. The local bodies can also add their guidelines to the existing list as per their requirements. This year people need to keep the festival simple."

This year, due to the global pandemic, the Lalbaugcha Raja and Chinchpoklicha Chintamani have cancelled the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, while the GSB Wadala Ganpati Mandal has postponed the celebrations to Maghi Chaturthi in February next year.

With inputs from Agencies

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