Celebrate Ganesh Puja at home: Bhagyanagar Utsav Samithi

Hyderabad: The Bhagayanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi members have appealed to the public to celebrate eleven-day festivities in Apartments, Gated communities, Community Halls, temples, function halls including Basthi areas.

This was decided in consensus after a meeting with Telangana-government.

The Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi in an official statement said “there are no restrictions on Ganesh Festival celebrations, but because of COVID pandemic, we have to follow the guidelines.”

According to the guidelines, not more than five in number are allowed inside a Ganesh pandal, wear a mask during puja is mandatory, adequate measures for the sanitisation and physical distancing should be followed. The responsibility will be on the pandal organisers.

The Samithi also clarified that unlike previous years, there is no police permission required to install the idol. The Samithi members have advised the state Home Minister to communicate the same to all police Commissionarates and Superintendent of police offices and ensure the message reaches all the police stations within their limits along with the instructions to conduct police state sector-level meetings with the Ganesh organisers to arrive consensus in following guidelines.”

Another meeting will be held with the authorities and the Samithi on August 22 to arrive at a consensus on the process of immersion depending on the number of Ganesh idols installed in the city.

' Bhakts and organisers of Ganesh pandal to perform the festivities soberly. Pandal organisers should also ensure that the idols should be in such a way that there are convenient to install, easy to lift and complete the process of immersion following the guidelines. Pandals have to ensure that there won’t be any program which results in a mass gathering.”

Hyderabad Police commissioner Anjani Kumar on Monday urged the people to celebrate the festivals at home, adding that no idol installation or public event of any kind will be allowed, as directed by the Telangana government.

“Protect your family against COVID-19. Do ‘maatam’ of Muharram at home. Similarly, Ganesh puja has to be done at home. No idol installation or any event will be held at public places as directed by the government”, said Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar