Devotees welcomed Lord Ganesh in their homes and public pandals on Friday as the 10-day festival dedicated to the elephant-headed God began in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra with focus on online 'darshan' amid the coronavirus pandemic and looming threat of a third wave.
Like last year, the ongoing pandemic has again put a halt to large-scale celebrations in many parts of the country this year too. In Mumbai, where Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the biggest celebrations of the year, the police on Thursday imposed Section 144 in the city from September 10 to 19 to curb the public celebrations in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"No processions of Ganpati will be allowed and more than five persons can't gather at a place," said the Mumbai Commissioner's office. Devotees in the city will have to take the darshan of Lord Ganesha online and they cannot visit mandaps across the city.
In Pune too, this year all Ganesh mandals will do the immersion at their pandals, said Ravindra Shisve, Joint Commissioner, Pune City Police on Thursday. He said people can use 'mobile visarjan' (immersion) vans for the immersion of idols.
Watch video on what's allowed and what's not:
