The Ganesh festival will be a low-key affair in Andhra and Telangana, particularly in Hyderabad where the festival is celebrated with much gusto, since the government has issued restrictions regarding the ongoing pandemic.
The Telangana government said that it won’t allow public celebrations of the Ganesh festival this year for fear of community spread of the novel coronavirus. As per Hyderabad Police, there are to be no pandals in the open this time.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar tweeted: “We care for your health and safety. Protect your family against Covid-19. Do maatam of Muharram at home. Similarly, all Ganesh pujas have to be done at home. No idol installation or any event will be allowed in public places as directed by government. Keep yourself and the city safe.” This would be the first time after the formation of Telangana that restrictions have been put on Ganesh Puja.
On the other side, the Andhra Pradesh government has also issued guidelines asking people to celebrate Vinayaka Chaturthi at home, instead of public places. The order of the government of Andhra Pradesh states: “When people visit shops/ market places for procuring certain things for celebrations in all such places, the public is advised to strictly adhere to social distancing norms and always wear a face mask.”