Pune Ganesh Festival: Prominent mandals go digital; will provide online darshan

Pune: To prevent crowding amid the coronavirus outbreak, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has requested all mandals in Pune to promote online darshan for the devotees.  A joint meeting of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Pune Police, office-bearers of Ganesh mandals for the upcoming Ganesh Festival was held on Thursday.

Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohol appealed organisers to refrain from carrying out processions as it would not be possible to allow large crowds thronging the Ganeshotsav marquees also he asked the Ganesh Mandals to promote online darshan.

Mayor Murlidhar Mohol said, “Pune administration appeal all mandals to keep an online darshan system to avoid rush and crowding of devotees this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.” “Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav pandals need not to take prior permission of the corporation to hold the festival. Concerning the construction of pandals, all rules and guidelines prescribed by the administration last year should be followed by all Sarvajanik pandals,” he added.

Mahesh Suryavanshi, treasurer of Dagdusheth Ganpati Mandal said, “Amid the COVID-19 pandemic Dagdusheth Ganpati Mandal have decided that this year’s celebration will be a low key affair. We urge devotees in the city to stay home and avoid to come physically to seek blessings of beloved Bappa.

“We are already promoting online darshan where the live feed of darshan including aarti and other celebrations will be broadcasted for all the devotees this year,” he added.

 Shrikant Shete, President of Kasba Ganpati Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal said, “As COVID-19 has badly hit the city, the Ganesh festival will not be a grand as it is like every year. This year we have already started preparing for the E-Darshan.”

“Devotees can seek blessings of Bappa through our Facebook Page (Shri Kasba Ganpati). To avoid the huge rush, the Mandal has decided to focus more on digital darshan,” he informed. 

Meanwhile, the coronavirus crisis and its related guidelines have called for a muted Ganeshotsav this year, which is otherwise, planned with huge grandeur in Pune city. Ganesh mandals in Pune have already stated that the celebrations this year will be low-key.

Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohol, Joint Commissioner of Police Dr Ravindra Shisve, Deputy Mayor Saraswati Shendge, Standing Committee Chairman Hemant Rasne, PMC officials and office-bearers of Ganesh mandals were present during the meeting.