Cuttack Municipal Corporation restricts Ganesh Puja celebration
CUTTACK: Amid fears of possible Covid-19 third wave, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has restricted the Ganesh Puja celebrations in city and asked the organisers to observe the festival without congregation of devotees like last year.
Issuing guidelines in this regard, the civic body has directed that puja will be conducted in indoor-like conditions only for observance of rituals without public participation, pomp, and grandeur. There will be no lighting at pandals.
At any given point of time, not more than seven persons, including organisers (kartas), priests, and support staff will remain present at the pandal/mandap. The pandals/mandaps will be covered on three sides while the fourth side will be covered in a way not to allow any public view of the idols. The persons present at puja mandaps will have to follow all Covid protocols, the CMC order said.The size of idol shall be less than four feet and there shall be no use of public address system. There will be no parikrama with regard to Ganesh Puja.
There shall be no community feast, cultural programme and immersion procession. The idols will be immersed in artificial pond created by the CMC. Religious procession of any kind of any religious community and community feast associated with any puja/festival during the period have been banned.At educational institutions, the puja has been allowed with participation of 20 persons including priest, teachers and students in strict adherence to Covid safety norms. There will be no separate pandal for Ganesh puja inside the educational institutions.
For conducting puja in pandals/mandaps, the organisers will have to obtain necessary permission from the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Cuttack or any other officer authorised by him.Any person found violating these guidelines will be punished under provisions of the Disaster Management Act-2005, the Epidemic Diseases Act-1897 and Section 188 of the IPC, the order stated.