Ahead of the popular Ganesh Utsav in Mumbai's Lalbaugcha Raja Ganeshotsav Mandal, Secretary to the Mandal Sudhir Salvi informed that a 4-feet tall idol will be installed in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He further informed that the festivities will be held adhering to the COVID protocols.
"Lalbaugcha Raja Ganeshotsav Mandal will observe Ganesh Chaturthi while adhering to COVID-19 guidelines. A 4-feet tall Ganesh idol will be installed on September 10," Salvi said while speaking to ANI.
Lalbaugcha Raja Ganeshotsav Mandal Secretary also said that they will urge people to devotees to take part in the puja and darshan online.
"Even though we are installing a 4-feet idol, we are urging devotees across the country to attend the proceedings online," he said.
In a bid to curb the transmission of the virus, Salvi said that 15 days ahead of the festival this year, they are planning to start online booking of Prasad.
Planning is being done for the past two months, he said.
According to him, 70-80 per cent of volunteers at the Mandal have received both the doses of COVID vaccine.
"Meeting will be held with police. Directions of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), police and the government will be followed," he noted.
Last year, Lalbaughcha Raja Ganeshotsav Mandal, for the first time in history, refrained from holding the festivities in the wake of the pandemic.Instead, the Lalbaughcha Raja Ganeshotsav Mandal had organised a blood and plasma donation camp.The Maharashtra government had earlier issued guidelines to restrict the height of the Ganesha idols to upto 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.
Ganesh Chaturthi, a ten-day festival that starts on the fourth day of the 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.
Meanwhile, there are 78,700 active cases of COVID-19 in Maharashtra while the death toll due to the infection has gone up to 133038, as per Union Health Ministry.
( With inputs from ANI )
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