Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday appealed to all Ganesh mandals in the State to restrict the Ganapati idol size to four feet, observe austerity in celebrations, and follow safety norms during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr. Thackeray said, “Extravagant celebrations and huge Ganesha idols is an attraction of the festival in Mumbai and Pune. But we will have to avoid them at least this year. I have held talks with representatives of mandals from different parts of the State, and we unanimously agreed to celebrate the festival with discipline and safety.”
The CM said it has also been unanimously decided to restrict the height of idols to four feet. “In case of bigger idols, the manpower required too increases. We need to avoid crowds. We will have to prevent crowds even in pandals. Even the immersion will have to be performed with as few people as possible.”
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He said the dahi handi festival, too, has been cancelled this year.
“We could not organise the annual pilgrimage of warkaris. Such actions are an example of Maharashtra’s commitment to social work and discipline,” he said. Dahi handi organisers such as Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik have donated ₹1 crore to anti-COVID-19 fund instead, he said.