The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on 23rd July, 2020 announced that not more than 5 people could participate in the arrival and the immersion ceremony of Lord Ganesha idols during the upcoming Ganesha festivities. The festivities are due next month and in the view of Covid-19 pandemic, BMC has announced the regulations and restrictions. The BMC is heading Mumbai’s battle against the pandemic and doing all that it can to stop the spread of the virus. If it was not known to all, the BMC managed make Dharavi, one of the largest slums in the nation, a safe zone from being one of the first Corona hot spot. BMC knocked on over 47,000 doors and screened over 80,000 people before achieving this feat. BMC is doing a spectacular job in Mumbai, and has inspired many city corporations.
BMC in its announcement has also asked people to refrain from doing anything which further spread this virus, which doesn’t seem to stop spreading, and those found flouting these rule will be dealt with strict actions under the Epidemic Act, 1897, Disaster Management Act, 2005 and of course the Indian Penal Code. BMC has asked the citizen of Mumbai to follow social and physical distancing during the processions and during the festivity which will last 10 days. In order to highlight how important stopping the spread of the virus is, I would like to point out that the organizers of Lalbaugh Cha Raja, one of the most well-known and biggest Ganesha mandal in the nation, have announced that this year the Lalbaugh Cha Raja would not come to town and would not be made.
BMC further has also asked to make sure that all the Ganesha idols are made from eco-friendly materials and the permitted height limit for all the idols would be 2 meters. It has suggested use of marble or metal instead of clay in making of the idols. The immersion procession must be performed at homes or in artificial lakes if possible while maintaining social distancing but not in lakes or rivers or sea. BMC has asked not to have a common procession for a society or building. BMC’s announcement specifically asks to not involve the elderly or the children during the processions. Ganesha festivity was famously celebrated during the time of Shivaji Maharaj though it was later lost. It was then revived by Bal Gangadhar Tilak in order to instil a feeling oneness and unity during the freedom struggle. It has since been celebrated with great excitement and valour every year in Maharashtra. There will be lesser number of idols made and sold during this yer's festivity, this means that the workers would make these idols will not be making as much profits as any other year. With imposition of lockdown and on-going pandemic, their financial activites had already been impacted and this further adds to their woos. The idol market make nearly 10 lakh idols of Lord Ganesha ranging from 1 foot to 10 feet. Earlier Govt. had stayed the ban on POP idols as a relief to the artisans but these new regulations make it seems as POP idols would be welcomed. POP stands for Plaster of Paris and it is considered as not a very ecofriendly option when it comes to making idols as it pollutes the water bed and makes the water unhabitable for the water habitants.
