Mumbai: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday has issued new guidelines to help citizens celebrate Navratri in a simple way. The decision was made amid fears of Covid-19 and dengue spreading.
Online darshan is encouraged, but physical darshan will be permitted if Covid-19 safety protocols are followed. According to the SOPs issued – on the same lines as those for Ganesh Chaturthi – a maximum number of people is allowed in pandals and procession.
What’s allowed and what’s not:
* No garba is permitted
* The distribution of prasad and flowers has been strictly limited, as well as the opening of stalls.
* BMC has asked for online darshan of the idols since only five people will be allowed inside the pandal.
* Those undergoing physical darshan will be tested for their temperature.
* The civic organization decreed that the pandal area should be sanitized three times a day.
* Public mandals are required to seek permission from the BMC, according to the circular.
* The height of an idol has been limited to four feet for idols in public mandals, and two feet for idols in private homes.
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* The BMC has requested that citizens bring shadu idols that are environmentally friendly, and try to immerse or perform the ‘visarjan’ in their own homes, before the procession, so that there will not be crowds.
* Mandals to organize blood donation camps and create awareness regarding malaria and dengue, instead.
* There shouldn’t be any crowd gathered around the mandal when performing any religious ritual.
The government encouraged people to use clay idols over plaster of paris to immerse in properties as well as artificial ponds created by civic authorities. BMC also emphasized the need to reduce noise pollution to a minimum.
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