Ganesh Chaturthi 2020: A celebration with a difference this year

Komal Khatri, a resident of Dreams Complex, Bhandup West, has got an eco-friendly Ganesh idol to celebrate the festival at home

This year Ganeshotsav will be a low-key affair for all with municipal corporations issuing strict guidelines related to height of idols for society celebrations and visarjan. The civic bodies have said residents should be encouraged to use artificial ponds or drums within the society complex and should also not crowd at visarjan spots.

Komal Khatri, a resident of Dreams Complex, Bhandup West, said, "Unlike every year, this time I have opted for an eco-friendly Ganesha plant, which is a small idol. We are also using homemade décor to keep it simple."

Komal Khatri and family

Home visarjan

"Also, this year it will be a complete family affair and guests won't be visiting us. Also, I have dropped the idea of ordering food and will cook some at home," she added. Komal further said that she would conduct the visarjan at home instead of going to Powai lake.

With the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Navi Mumbai and Panvel areas, cooperative housing societies have been told to set up artificial ponds on the premises for visarjan.

Mangal Kamble, president of Swach Khargar Foundation (SKF), which has over 200 co-operative societies under its wing, said, "Many societies continue to have restrictions pertaining to allowing people inside, which includes pandits for Ganesh puja. This year, many societies have decided not to celebrate on their premises and those who want to will follow Panvel Municipal Corporation guidelines."

Drums that can be used for visarjan at housing societies

"Most of the households are not calling pandits, rather online pujas have been planned. Pandits will be allowed in some societies, where they will follow strict norms," said Kamble.

No cultural programmes

She further added, "At our society (Kesar Harmony), senior citizens and children are restricted from visiting the pandal area, and even prasad will be distributed maintaining hygiene. No mahaprasad or cultural programme has been planned." Interestingly, SKF along with the PMC have decided to award households and societies for coming up with out-of-the-box ideas for making idols and using eco-friendly materials for decoration. Mangal said that they would be selecting three winners, who will be given trophies and certificates by the civic body.

Poonam Gupta, of Bhoomi Raj Woods, a 280-member cooperative housing society in Sector 20, Kharghar, said, "For the past 15 years we have been celebrating Ganeshotsav on a grand scale. But this year we have decided to keep the idol around 4 feet and celebrate for one-and-a-half days. Also, no cultural programmes or mahaprasad will happen."

'Not taller than 2 feet'

A senior PMC official said, "We have issued directives for hassle-free celebrations using eco-friendly idols and decorations. We have directed societies to not have idols more than 2-feet tall and they need to inform the civic body about the same. For POP idols that don't dissolve in water within 10 days, the societies should inform the civic body to collect the same," the official added.

Siddhivinayak to live telecast aarti, puja

At Siddhivinayak Temple in Prabhadevi special arrangements have been made to telecast live online aarti and other pujas that will take place at the temple from 5 am every day for the entire duration of the festival, as well as the special seventh day visarjan in the temple, said Aadesh Bhandekar, chairman of the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust.

BMC directives for housing societies

• Only five people should participate in the arrival and immersion ceremonies of idols.
• Ganpati idols for homes should be of eco-friendly material and height should not be more than 2 feet.
• People should conduct immersions at home, and if not possible, then idols should be immersed in artificial ponds.
• Common processions of idols from housing societies or buildings should be avoided. Not children
• and elderly allowed at immersion sites.
• People should avoid taking part in big processions.
• Don't invite guests for darshan, but if you do, safety protocols should be followed.
• Tell guests and family members to wash hands with soap before aarti.

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