Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday announced that the restrictions imposed on festivals during the coronavirus pandemic have been lifted and there would no curbs on the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi, Dahi Handi and other religious events.
There will also be no restrictions on the commemoration of Muharram when processions are taken out, he said.
After the pandemic broke out in March 2020, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, which was then led by Uddhav Thackeray, had imposed several restrictions on festivals, including ban on processions during the Ganeshotsav. There were also curbs on the height of the Lord Ganesh idols installed by sarvajanik (community) mandals and as well as the household-level.
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Due to these factors and the prevalence of infection, the Ganesh festival and other religious events had mostly remained low-key in the last two years.
Speaking to reporters, Shinde said, "All the restrictions on the religious festivals introduced during the pandemic have been lifted. People should be able to welcome such festivals with a positive attitude."
He added that a single-window system would be set up to facilitate the Ganesh mandals across the state in obtaining permissions for pandals and other things. "There will be no registration fees for it," the chief minister said.
"A committee has been set up for finding a solution for Ganesh idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP). It will come up with some environment-friendly solutions," he said. The 10-day Ganesh festival will begin on August 31 this year.
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Public Ganesh mandals (groups) welcomed the government's decision to allow curbs-free celebrations of the popular festival. Balasaheb Kamble, president, Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, said with no restrictions this year, citizens will be able to celebrate the festival with more zeal and enthusiasm.
The Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, founded in 1934, installs the city's most famous Lord Ganesh idol called Lalbaugcha Raja, which attracts thousands of devotees everyday during the 10-day-long celebrations. "We were waiting for all the restrictions to be lifted for a long time," Kamble said.
Expressing joy over the state government's decision, Arun Patil, working president of the Dahi Handi Samanvay Samiti, Maharashtra, said though restrictions have been lifted, people should take precautions while celebrating the festival which is an integral part of Janmashtami celebrations in the state. As part of Dahi Handi festivities, young devotees form human pyramids to mark the birth of Lord Krishna.
(With PTI inputs)
