India gears up for Ganesha Chaturthi in the shadow of coronavirus

  Ganesha Chaturthi, a festival, which in normal times brings lakhs of people on roads in cities across India, will begin on August 22 under the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic will dent the earnings of idol makers and worshippers will have to follow strict protocols for celebration.Here's how the country gears up for the festival.

An artist gives a final touch to an idol of Lord Ganesha ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, at a workshop in Vijayawada. Credit: PTI

An artisan gives final touches to an idol of elephant headed Hindu god Ganesha ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, at a workshop on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Credit: AFP

Artist Vishal Shinde (41) gives a final touch to a clay idol of Lord Ganesha ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, at his workshop in Worli, Mumbai. Credit: PTI

Artist Vishal Shinde (41) shows a clay idol of Lord Ganesha, made by him, ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, at his workshop in Worli, Mumbai, Wednesday, July 29, 2020. Shinde has made 200 Ganesh idols (8 inches each) that can be easily immersed at home while keeping the situation of coronavirus pandemic in mind. Credit: PTI

A boy stands near a coronavirus themed idol for Puja festivities at a workshop, in Bengaluru. Credit: PTI

An artist gives finishing touches to idols of Lord Ganesha ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi festival, at a workshop in Vijayawada. Credit: PTI

A devotee, wearing face shield amid COVID-19 pandemic, carries an idol of Lord Ganesha to install at his for Ganesh Utsav, in Thane. Credit: PTI

Artisans make the idols of Lord Ganesh for the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festival, at Kumartuli in Kolkata. Credit: PTI

A worker cleans an idol of elephant headed Hindu god Ganesha, at a workshop ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Credit: AFP

A worker cleans an idol of elephant headed Hindu god Ganesha, at a workshop ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Credit: AFP

An artisan gives final touches to an idol of elephant headed Hindu god Ganesha at a workshop ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, in Siliguri. Credit: AFP

An artisan works on an idol of elephant headed Hindu god Ganesha at a workshop ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, in Siliguri. Credit: AFP

A devotee takes picture of a COVID-19 coronavirus themed elephant headed Hindu god Ganesha idol at a workshop ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Hyderabad. Credit: AFP

An artisans gives final touches to an idol of elephant headed Hindu god Ganesha at a workshop ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, in Siliguri. Credit: AFP

A vendor cleans an idol of COVID-19 coronavirus themed elephant headed Hindu god Ganesha at a workshop ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Hyderabad. Credit: AFP

An artisan works on an idol of elephant headed Hindu god Ganesha at a workshop ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, in Siliguri. Credit: AFP

An artisan gives a finishing touch to an idol of Lord Ganesh ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, at her workshop in Kumartuli, Kolkata. Credit: PTI

A woman puts a face mask on an idol of Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, at her workshop ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, amidst the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Ahmedabad. Credit: Reuters

An artisan works on an idol of elephant headed Hindu god Ganesha made with mud, jute and bamboo at a workshop ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Credit: AFP

An artisan wearing a face mask works on an idol of Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, at his workshop ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, amidst the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Ahmedabad. Credit: Reuters

Children of artisans play amid idols of elephant headed Hindu god Ganesha, at a workshop ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Credit: AFP