Ganesh Chaturthi 2020 begins with COVID19 restrictions, online 'arti' [VIDEOS]

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated every year with great fervor and merriment in the country with thousands of devotees thronging temples and 'Ganeshotsav pandals' to offer their prayers to Lord Ganesha. While these 10 days of Ganesh Mahotsav is much awaited by everyone all over the country, the celebrations are restricted this time due to the COVID19 pandemic. On the tenth day, devotees bid adieu to the idols of Lord Ganesha by immersing them in water bodies. However, Ganpati visarjan is restricted this year, the social distancing norms have prevented people from celebrating the festival in the congregation.

According to new guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs on July 29, cultural and religious functions and other large congregations will continue to remain prohibited. On Saturday, the festival opened with online arti at various Ganesha temples. From Mumbai's Siddhivinayak Temple to Delhi's Ganesh Temples, priests offered prayers and the arti was streamed online.

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The Maharashtra government has issued guidelines regarding Ganeshotsav celebrations, saying that processions should not be taken out before installing and immersing the idols of the deity. It also said that the heights of Lord Ganesh idols installed by sarvajanik (community) mandals and at household-

level should be limited to four feet and two feet, respectively, this year.

As a result, the number of people coming out in the market to buy Ganpati idols for installation in their houses, housing societies and sarvajanik pandals, was limited. The usual spirit and fervour of the festival were relatively low this year.

Lalbaugcha Raja, Mumbai's best-known sarvajanik Ganeshotsav mandal, cancelled the festival this year in view of the pandemic, while Wadala's GSB Sewa Samiti, considered one of the richest mandals in the metropolis, postponed the celebration to 'Magh Shudh Chaturthi' in February next year.

The usual pandal decorations in the city are missing this year and cultural events have been replaced by public awareness programmes and health camps by the mandals.

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