Ganesh Chaturthi 2022: Pune Police Allows Shivaji Maharaj-Afzal Khan Play, Idol Immersion Not Allowed in Ganga

Ganesh Chaturthi is set to be celebrated in full swing in Maharashtra and other states this year after a two-year lull due to Covid-19 restrictions. Scheduled to begin on August 31, events have been planned at a bigger scale with grand pandals, processions, and guided walks.

While public pandals mostly observe the festival for all 11 days until September 9, many people bring in Ganesha idols to their homes for one and a half days, three days, five days and seven days. The common practice is to immerse the idols in the seas, or rivers.

Haridwar district authorities have prohibited people from immersing Ganesh idols in the Ganga river during the festival.

Ganesha Idol Immersion Not Allowed in Ganga

The district administration has directed municipal corporation to earmark and make temporary idol immersion points, artificial lakes, ponds, ramps, among others, in the civic periphery for Ganesh Utsav, a Hindustan Times report said.

“No one will be allowed to immerse idols directly in the Ganga and if someone violates then due action will be taken against such violators,” said district magistrate Vinay Shankar Pandey.

Another official said that the raw material of the idols (plaster of paris or clay) must be clearly mentioned to avoid

Premium Pandals to Go Bigger

Shree Kasba Ganpati Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal at Kasba Peth area of Pune and Shree Sarvajanik Ganeshutsav Sanstha at Keshavji Naik Chawl at Khadilkar Road in Girgaum in Mumbai will organise bigger celebrations this year.

The celebrations at Kasba Ganpati temple dates back to 1925 according to temple authorities. The Keshavji Naik Chawl, too, has a rich history with some claiming that Bal Gangadhar Tilak visited the place and observed the Ganesh puja in 1901.

While the Kasba Ganpati will have celebrations upholding the theme of protection of environment and zero-plastic use and Keshavji Naik Chawl is planning to celebrate 75th years of India’s independence, Times Now reported.

Shivaji Maharaj-Afzal Khan Play in Pune

City police on Wednesday allowed a Ganesh mandal to stage the historical scene of warrior king Shivaji Maharaj killing Bijapur general Afzal Khan, having denied the permission earlier on the ground that it might lead to communal tensions.

The Sangam Tarun Mandal which installs Ganesh in a public pandal in Kothrud area had sought permission from police to stage the famous incident from Shivaji’s life during the coming Ganesh festival, slated to start from August 31.

When the Mandal, headed by local Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Kishor Shinde, sought permission to stage the scene of Afzal Khan’s killing earlier this month, police denied it stating that it might disturb communal harmony.

After various organizations approached the police station demanding that permission be given, Kothrud police withdrew the earlier letter and a new letter granting permission, signed by senior inspector Mahendra Jagtap, was issued.

The mandal should take utmost care to ensure that communal harmony was preserved, the letter said.

Afzal Khan, a general of the Adilshahi state of Bijapur, was sent in 1659 to subjugate King Shivaji. Khan was killed during a meeting between the two and his army was routed in the battle of Pratapgad.

Uttar Pradesh Pandel Turns Up the Bling with ‘Swarna Ganesh’

The Ganesh idol in a pandal in Uttar Pradesh’s Chandausi is being adorned with gold decorations. Ajay Arya, the person associated with the project, told news agency ANI that the idol will be 18 feet tall and is being designed along the lines of Tirupati Balaji.

“Around 40-50% gold will be used in the idol and the rest will be made with other metals,” he said.

Karnataka Issues Guidelines for Ganesh Chaturthi 

The Karnataka government has issued guidelines for public pandals across the state. All public pandals require permission from authorities. The government has instructed all the organisations and groups setting up pandals for Ganesh Puja to install CCTV cameras.

The permission to set-up pandals and install Ganesh idols in public places can be obtained through a single-window system. The city corporations as well as urban local bodies have been asked to set up this system that will comprise officials from the revenue, police, energy, fire and PWD departments.

The CCTV cameras at the puja pandals have been made mandatory in a bid to avoid theft or any other suspicious activity. According to the guidelines, pandals can’t be set up near high-tension electric poles.

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