Lockdown dampens Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 22

The weekend lockdown and the increasing number of Covid-19 cases have dampened the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in the city.

At Maharashtra Bhawan in Sector 19 today, a small group of around 10 persons of the Maharashtra Mandal participated in the ‘murti sthapana’ (installation of Lord Ganesha’s idol).

Madhav Bhaskar Sane, president of the mandal, said, “Earlier, more than 500 persons would attend the function. Now, because of the pandemic, we haven’t been allowed to have such a gathering here.”

The time period of the immersion of Ganesha idols, which would usually be done 10 days after the ‘puja’, has been snipped short too. “Before the pandemic, a large number of people gathered on the banks of the Ghaggar in Panchkula to immerse Ganesha idols. This would usually happen 10 days after the ‘puja’. But now, we will be immersing the idols here in a water barrel on August 24,” Sane said. Prof Jayanth Narayan Pethkar from School of Communication Studies, PU, is a regular visitor to the bhawan. He said, “This time, the festival lacks fervour. At all previous celebrations of the festival, this place would be jam-packed with people, but now, because of the pandemic and the lockdown, people are mostly celebrating it at home.”

Artist Pradeep Das, who makes Ganesha idols, said, “Last year, I sold more than 40 idols of Lord Ganesha, but this year, the business has been slow. I have not even been able to sell 20 idols this time.”

Pradeep Bansal of Ganapati Mahautsav Sabha, Sector 32, said, “At Gugga Madi mandir, an eco-friendly idol of Lord Ganesha has been installed. It will be immersed in the Ghaggar on Sunday.”