The recent ban on idol immersion, processions, and community celebrations has turned Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations into a low-key affair. Marathi associations are resorting to Zoom aartis and Facebook live darshans to ensure loyal patrons celebrate the festival from their homes.
Pandals across Delhi-NCR tell The Morning Standard about their digital, low-key celebrations minus prasad. “Last year, we immersed our eight-feet idol at Darbhanga in UP. Earlier, we would immerse the idol in the Yamuna. Women would perform the Kalash Yatra during the idol installation and immersion, and we had an open pandal.
But nothing of this sort is being done this time,” says Suman Malik from Sanskar Sewa Samiti, an organisation that has celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi at Kotla Mubarakpur in Delhi for 15 years now. “We don’t want the public to gather. So, the murti sthapana (idol installation) will be done in an empty godown. Proper sanitisation of the hall will be done daily. People can come for darshan, but won’t be allowed to sit there. Also, we won’t give any prashad to the devotees.
This time all sweets will also be made at home. We have made an artificial pond, where the idol will be immersed,” Malik adds. Swati Khanvalkar informs that the Maharashtra Mitra Mandal, Dwarka, that she is a member of, will have no community get together. “But we will install an idol at a member’s house. The family will perform the aarti and people can catch that on Zoom.” The mandal will upload the videos of performances by the kids on it’s Facebook Page. Since four years, Purvanchal Maharashtra Mandal Anand Vihar has gone the eco-friendly route by not holding a procession and immersing the idol in a tank filled with water. “The idol is made from soluble mud by a group in Jhilmil. Like every year, we will install the idol at Ram Mandir this evening (Saturday). Earlier, the idol was kept in the hall.
This time, it will be kept in the temple. People can come for darshan, but we are not inviting anyone specially for it,” says member Pravir Chitre. The mandal is affiliated to Delhi Marathi Pratisthan and the same aarti will happen at every mandal through Zoom. “People are sad that they won’t be able to meet their dear ones and visit pandals.
To keep their spirits high, we have been doing cultural programmes through Zoom since May,” adds Chitre. Sarvjanik Ganesh Utsav Samiti, Gurugram will keep the Ganesha idol for just a oneand- a-half day for the 28th year of their Ganesh Chaturthi celebration that will be telecast through Zoom. Vice-president Jeevan Talegaonkar, says, “We are keeping the idol at a friend’s place. Today (Saturday) is the sthapana, so in the evening chanting of Atharva Sheersha Pathan will be done.
We have cultural events such as musical performance by Gurguram-based group Swaranjali, stand-up comedy in Marathi by Shyam Pethkar, Kirtan by Chaudutt Aphale from Mumbai, musical performance by TV actor Vighnesh Joshi among others, lined-up for the next 10 days. We had invited entries for kids’ performances with videos long ago. We will edit those videos and telecast these on Facebook and Zoom as we don’t want to violate the rules set by the government.
”Temples are also taking all social distancing measures for the darshan. Laghu Ram, Secretary Shri Subha Siddhi Vinayak Mandir, Mayur Vihar says, “In case people visit the temple, we are ensuring complete implementation of measures such as sanitisation, face masks and social distancing. Only 20 people are allowed inside the temple at a time. Neither prasad from outside is allowed nor any prasad will be given to the devotees.
We will do a havan and murti abhishekam on Ganesh Chaturthi and stream the live telecast on our Facebook page.” As per the guidelines, devotees have largely opted for ecofriendly idols. At Delhi Marathi Pratishthan that’s 40 Maharashtra mandals in Delhi have been using Shadoo Ki Mitti’s idol for many years now. “Many in North India use plaster of Paris (PoP) Ganesha idols. But PoP doesn’t dissolve in water. So, we will do the immersion in a bucket at home.
We will later use that mud to grow plants in a pot. On the first day, that is today, we will hold a maha aarti and send a Zoom link to all our mandals. This way we can see the decorations and Ganpatiji at other mandals,” says Founding Trustee Abhijeet Godbole, and adds, “We believe Ganpatiji will take Corona with him during his immersion on September 1.”
In a Nutshell
The recent ban on idol immersion, processions, and community celebrations has turned Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations into a low-key affair. Marathi associations are resorting to Zoom aartis and Facebook live darshans to ensure loyal patrons celebrate the festival from their homes.