Ganeshotsav 2021: Maharashtra govt restricts idols' height to up to 4 feet

Representational Image | Pic/AFP

Nearly two months before Ganeshotsav or Ganesh Chaturthi, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday issued guidelines to restrict the height of the Ganesha idols to up to four feet. The height of the idols in public celebrations has been restricted to four feet while those in homes have been limited to two feet.

In view of the ongoing pandemic situation, the government has urged people to carry out the festivities by following anti-Covid-19 protocols and avoid crowding. The government has also directed Ganeshotsav Mandals to seek prior permission from the local administration.

Ganesh Chaturthi, a ten-day festival that starts on the fourth day of Hindu lunisolar calendar month Bhadrapada, will start on September 10 this year.

It is celebrated with much fanfare in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra with lakhs of devotees converging into mandals to seek blessing from Lord Ganesh. However, Maharashtra is one of the worst virus-affected states due to the pandemic, with the highest number of active cases.

Last year as well, the celebrations of the festival were subdued due to the rampant surge in Covid-19 cases in the state. For the first time in history, Lalbaughcha Raja Ganeshotsav Mandal had decided not to hold the festivities in the wake of the pandemic.

On Monday, Maharashtra reported 8,085 fresh Covid-19 cases, 8,623 recoveries and 231 deaths. The coastal state has 1,17,098 active cases. The recovery rate of Maharashtra stands at 96 per cent and the fatality rate is at 2.01 per cent.

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