PUNE: The civic body has appealed to residents and mandals to celebrate Ganeshotsav in a simple way this year also because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) issued an order on Monday, urging residents to follow the state government’s guidelines for the 10-day festival. The directive banned precessions on the first and the immersion days. It stated that crowd should be avoided during aarti, bhajan and other programmes. The civic administration’s order also stressed on online darshan facility for devotees.
The Pune municipal commissioner, Vikram Kumar, stated in the order that the Ganesh festival should be celebrated in a simple manner, according to the instructions issued by the state government.
“The Ganesh Mandals will have to seek permission from the PMC and follow the rules and the guidelines of the civic administration while erecting pandals. The festival should be celebrated in a restricted manner with simple decorations. Preference should be given to convey health and social messages through decorations and displays. It should be ensured that advertisements do not attract the crowd,” the order stated.
This is the second consecutive year when the civic administration has issued instructions for a low-key Ganeshotsav in the Pune civic limits. Many Ganesh mandals had cancelled the celebrations and processions last year after the state government issued similar instructions because of the pandemic.
The state government issued an order this year also in June, stating that Ganesh mandals should not install idols taller than four feet at pandals and two-foot idols were recommended for celebrations at home. It stated that residents should opt for immersion of idols at homes or at makeshift tanks set up by local civic bodies to avoid crowding. Children and senior citizens should refrain from visiting immersion ghats, it recommended.
Ganeshotsav is usually celebrated in the city with great enthusiasm. Over 1,500 Ganesh mandals register every year with the civic administration and the city police for the festival.
