Coronavirus Lockown 3.0: Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra to be simple, low key this year

The Ganesh festival of Mumbai - the biggest attraction of the calendar year - is going to be a low-key affair in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

The BrihanMumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshutsav Samanway Samiti (BSGSS), the apex body of Ganesh mandals, has urged the organisers to celebrate the festival in a simple manner.
The 11-day festival starts on August 22 on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi and ends on September 1 on Anant Chaturdashi.

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"Just couple of days ago, we made a request to the Ganesh mandals....Ganesh festival is a tradition and we will continue to celebrate it but it would be in a simple manner," BSGSS president Naresh Dahibhawkar told DH.

According to him, the mandals have responded positively to the appeal of the apex body. "The Ganesh festival of Mumbai is famous across the world," he said.

In Mumbai alone, there are 10,700-odd sarvajanik Ganesh mandals, of which around 250 are the big ones.

Dahibhawkar said that during the festival, the guidelines of the WHO, Centre and Maharashtra government would be followed.

We have to ensure that there is physical distancing, a place to wash hands and sanitisers are there, the BSGSS chief said.

"The issue is more complex than it appears to be. Practically, the preparations and meetings start by April. But now we are at a stage when Covid-19 is peaking in India, and Mumbai and its suburbs are the worst-affected. We hope and pray that things should be normal by the end of May," he said, adding that because of Covid-19 lockdown, there is an element of uncertainty.

Another issue is that it is difficult to make big idols at this stage.

"There is an issue of availability of raw materials. The local, as well as migrant workers, have left," he said.

He said from June, there would be regular meetings with the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Mumbai police - and at this stage, they are working overtime to fight COVID-19 pandemic.

"First let us see when the lockdown ends. But that notwithstanding, we have told mandals to celebrate the festival in a low-key manner and continue the tradition," he said.
In Mumbai, the origin of the festival in this form is from Keshavji Nayak Chawl at Girgaum here, where Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak started its first ‘sarvajanik’ Ganesh Utsav in 1893. It was done to garner support for India’s freedom struggle.

Some of the most popular Ganesh mandals are Lalbaug-cha-Raja at Lalbaug, Ganesh Gully, Lalbaug, Tejukaya Mandal, Lalbaug, GSB Seva Mandal, Matunga-Kings’ Circle, GSB Sarvajanik Ganeshutsav Samiti, Wadala, Kethwadi, 11thLane, Kethwadi, 12th Lane, Sahyadri Mandal, Tilak Nagar-Chembur, Shri BalGopal GaneshUtsav Mandal, Marine Lines, Fort VibhagSarvajanik Ganeshutsav Mandal, Fort, Andheri-cha-Raja or the Azad Nagar Sarvajanik Utsav Samitee at Andheri.