As the festivities for Ganesh Chaturthi began from Friday, in Mumbai, the city police on Thursday imposed orders under CrPC section 144. According to a police statement, no processions would be allowed in Mumbai between September 10 to 19 and devotees would not be allowed to visit Ganesh pandals. All prominent Ganesh mandals would be offering virtual darshan facilities, police said. Moreover, gathering of five or more persons is strictly not allowed.
Here are the guidelines issued for Mumbaikars for 10-day Ganesh festival...
For bringing the idols of the deity and during their immersion, there will not be more than 10 people in the processions of public mandals and not more than five for the household Ganpatis.
All devotees should wear masks and observe social distancing. Also, the 10 participants should have taken both the doses of COVID-19 vaccine and completed 15 days after taking the second dose.
BMC has banned physical darshan for devotees at the public Ganpati pandals and appealed to citizens to celebrate the festival with simplicity.
The mandals falling in COVID-19 containment zones will have to make arrangements for the immersion of the Ganpati idols in the pandal premises or postpone it.
In sealed buildings, devotees will have to make arrangements for the immersion of idols at home.
If a house/building is declared a containment zone, the rules for it should be followed during the festival.
The cap on the height of Ganpati idols and restrictions on celebrations have been imposed for the second year in a row to curb the spread of the COVID-19.
Traditional aartis done at immersion places should be done at mandals and homes this year.
Children and senior citizens would not be allowed at visarjan for safety reasons.
Home idols should be immersed in a bucket or a drum at home, if possible. If immersion is not possible at home, then idols should be immersed at an artificial immersion site.