Pune Police Release Guidelines For Ganeshotsav Celebration This Year

Pune, 1st September 2021: Considering the Covid-19 pandemic, Pune Police has issued certain guidelines for the city to be followed during Ganeshotsav. This year the festival will be celebrated from September 10 to 19.

For the last six months, the religious places in the city have been shut. Similarly, there have been a few restrictions for various other businesses in the city. Despite that keeping in view the religious sentiments of the people, the police have appealed to the Ganeshotsav mandals, political representatives and administration to strictly adhered to the guidelines. 

Following are the guidelines

A. Buying of Ganesh idols

(1) Ganesh mandals and citizens should preferably buy the Ganesh idols on-line

(2) The stalls will be given permission to be erected at school grounds, open spaces. There will be no permission to erect the stalls on roads, foot-paths or market places

B. Arrival of Ganpati

(1) No procession of arrival and immersion will be allowed this year too. All the citizens and Ganesh mandals need to follow the Maharashtra State Government guidelines issued in this regard

(2) There should not be large congregation of people for celebrating Ganshotsav

C. Installation of the idol

(1) Those Ganesh mandals who are attached to the Ganesh temples should install the idol in the temple premises. In other circumstances, the small mandals will be given the permission to install the pandals

(2) According to State guidelines the public Ganesh idol should not be more than 4 feet in height and the domestic should be below 2 feet height

D. Ganesh pooja

(1) Not more than five persons will be present during the ‘aarti’ and ‘pooja’. 

(2) Use of mask, sanitizer and social distancing must be followed

(3) No guest should be invited for ‘aarti’. The members or the priests should perform it

E. Ganesh Darshan

(1) Online facility of the darshan should be made available by the mandals through Cable network, website or Facebook

(2) There should be limited number of online tokens, digital passes

(3) No VIP guests should be invited 

(4) Citizens should take online darshan of the Ganesh idols

F. Surroundings at Ganesh mandals

(1) No stalls of flowers/sweets or other items will be permitted near the Ganesh pandal

(2) CCTV should be installed at the pandals

(3) Should play public health and related advertisement at the pandals

(4) No food-stalls will be allowed in the vicinity

(5) Licensed hawkers too have not been given the permission

(6) Ensure that there is no crowd and ambulance, rickshaw and other emergency vehicles can pass

(7) Guidelines regarding noise pollution must be followed

(8) The speakers will be allowed from 6 am to 12 pm

G. Cultural or other programs

(1) No cultural programs should be conducted, instead organise health camps 

(2) No celebrations should be organised

H. Security

(1) Keep the sand buckets ready at the venue

(2) Keep vigil on any suspicious things found at the venue including unknown persons, radio sets, bicycles, watches, food-tiffin etc. Inform the police immediately if you found anything suspicious 

(3) Atleast five members of the mandal or 24 security guards should be appointed at the venue

I. Anti-covid norms

(1) Strictly adhere to the norms laid down by the State Government

(2) Use of Aryog setu app is compulsory for the members and officials of Ganesh mandals. Maintain a diary to register the number of visitors

J. Immersion 

(1) There will be no immersion procession this year

(2) Immerse the idols at the immersion tanks erected near the pandals

(3) Mobile tanks and donation of idols will be implemented by Pune Municipal Corporation