The size of the idols has been limited to two feet inside homes and four feet in public (File)
Bangalore:
Coronavirus has changed the way we live, work and celebrate festivals. And while Karnataka has allowed a public celebration of Ganesh Utsav – it is quite silent.
Buoyed by relatively low new daily Covid case numbers – hovering around a thousand per day compared to over 50,000 at the peak of the second wave in April-May – and positivity rates below 2% in most districts, Karnataka held a public celebration. Is allowed. Ganesh Utsav this year. However, with experts warning of an imminent third wave of coronavirus, the state has also imposed several restrictions.
“It’s less crowded. And there aren’t many people to celebrate. It’s more fun when there are more people,” Sama, a young girl told NDTV as people continue to embrace the new normal.
In Bengaluru, where earlier the Ganpati festival took place on many streets, now there is only one public pandal in each ward.
The authorities have restricted the number of devotees to 20 at a time and banned live performances at pandals and made it mandatory for all organizers to get vaccinated and negative reports of COVID-19.
In the capital city, immersion processions with idols have been banned and idols will have to be immersed at home or in mobile tankers provided by the city’s civic body Brihat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
The city has also deployed home guards and BBMP marshals to ensure that all COVID guidelines are being followed.
Even as people become accustomed to the new normal and follow all protocols, the restriction on the size of idols – two feet inside homes and four feet in public – has drawn criticism.
“Government can’t differentiate. It’s up to Devotee: And God: It’s up to them to decide what size idols they will have in or outside the house. Otherwise, you should not have allowed any celebration outside the residences,” Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar told NDTV.
Srinivas, owner of a shop that sells Ganesha idols, said, “They should not have limited the size. In Bombay, there is a 30-feet idol. Chennai has a 40-feet idol. Karnataka is no less.” NDTV.
Many idols remain unsold, he said, adding, “Since the corporation has not given permission, no one is coming to buy the Ganpatis. All the Ganpatis that we have made are left. Even two years ago, they are left.” The ones we made are still sold out.”
Even as the authorities tried to impose curbs to prevent any increase in the number of Covid cases, some felt that the rules did not apply to them. In some areas there was more than one idol per ward. And one of the pandals had a 6 feet high Ganesh idol.
The organiser, Vamshi, seemed defiant. “Government has given rules but we should respect Hindu culture.”
But most of the places have followed the COVID guidelines issued by the state. Speaking to NDTV, an organizer said, “We have followed every rule given by BBMP. We have ensured that social distancing is being followed. This year the size of our idol is 4.5 feet. Earlier, We had an idol of 12 feet but we have to follow the rules. So we kept a small idol.”
Karnataka recorded the lowest number of Covid-related deaths since the start of the second wave with four fatalities on Thursday, taking the death toll to 37,462, news agency PTI reported. The state recorded 1,074 new infections, taking the total number of cases to 29,59,164. Of the four deaths, three were reported from Bengaluru and 343 cases of the virus.
.