Bhubaneswar: BMC allows Ganesh Puja in city without public participation

BHUBANESWAR: The Bhubaneswar municipal corporation (BMC) has issued guidelines for the celebration of Ganesh Puja on September 10. It has allowed the celebration in the city without public participation.
According to the guidelines, congregations on the occasion of Ganesh Puja will not be allowed in public within BMC jurisdiction. The committees or organisers can conduct the Ganesh Puja in mandaps by adopting all Covid-19 norms like social distancing, wearing of masks and sanitization.For this, they need to take permission from the officer authorised by the Commissioner of Police.
“The puja will be conducted in indoor-like conditions only for observance of rituals without any public participation, pomp and grandeur,” said the civic body guideline. It further stated that mandaps will have to be covered on three sides and one side to be opened only for entry of priests for rituals. Even the fourth side should be covered properly so that the public cannot view idols, said the BMC.
The BMC has clear instructions that idol size should be less than four feet and public address system will not be used during puja or any other time on the day. At any point in time, more than seven people, including priests/organisers/kartas/support staff, will not be allowed to the puja mandap.
People who will remain present on the mandap need to follow Covid-19 appropriate behaviour. Fully vaccinated people will be allowed for the observance of puja.
Organisers cannot hold an immersion procession this time. Idols will be immersed in artificial ponds to be created by the BMC, said the guideline.
A maximum of 20 participants can be allowed in educational institutions or coaching institutes. The participants should maintain a social distancing of six feet in the puja room or space. Feast or prasad sevan will not be allowed for any kind of account of the puja. “Head of the institute should ensure that those above 18 years of age are fully vaccinated to be present on the occasion,” said the BMC guideline.
Many institutes and organisations will observe the Ganesh Puja amid the Covid-19 restrictions this year. However, some people said more people should be allowed to the puja as it comes once a year.