Gujarat Imposes Night Curfew in 8 Cities, Issues Guidelines For Janmashtami, Ganesh Utsav | Details Here

Gujarat Lockdown News Today: The state government issued guidelines for Ganesh Utsav celebrations and said a 4-feet Ganesha statue can be installed in public, and no other religious or cultural programs are allowed.

Gujarat Lockdown News Today: The Gujarat government on Tuesday night issued fresh guideline for Janmashtami and Ganesh Utsav and imposed night curfew in 8 cities from August 30. Issuing an order, the CMO said that the night curfew will be implemented on the occasion of Janmashtami- from midnight (30th August) to 1 am in 8 major cities of the state. In the order, the state government also said that not more than 200 visitors will be allowed at temple premises.

In a similar manner, the state government issued guidelines for Ganesh Utsav celebrations and said a 4-feet Ganesha statue can be installed in public, and no other religious or cultural programs allowed.

“For Ganesh Utsav celebrations from 9th September to 19th September, a 4-feet Ganesha statue can be installed in public, a two-feet statue in houses. Only ‘aarti’ & distribution of prasad allowed at pandals, no other religious or cultural programs allowed,” the order stated.

As per the latest order, the night curfew, instead of the usual 11 PM, will be in force from 1 AM on August 30 to facilitate the celebration of Janmashtami, and from 12 midnight during September 9 to 19 for the Ganesh festival in the cities of Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Surat, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar, Gandhinagar and Junagadh.

List of guidelines:

1. The matki fod events (during which clay pots filled with curd are broken) and local fairs organized on the occasion of Janmashtami would not be allowed.
2. Installation of up to four feet tall Ganesh idols in public pandals and up to two feet tall idols at home will be allowed.
3. Social distancing norms will have to be followed both at Janmashtami and Ganesh celebration venues.
4. Devotees will have to move in circles for darshan to ensure a distance of two feet with the total number of participants at any given moment not exceeding 200.
5. Only the rituals of prayer-aarti and distribution of prasad are allowed at public Ganeshotsav places.
6. No other religious and cultural programs can be organized.
7. On immersion days, not more than 15 people will be allowed in a vehicle carrying idols to water bodies.

Corona cases: Gujarat’s COVID-19 tally increased by 14 on Tuesday to touch 8,25,330, while the day also saw 25 people getting discharged, taking the recovery count to 8,15,091. The toll remained unchanged at 10,079 as no death was reported during the day. The COVID-19 tally and recovery count in neighbouring Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu remained unchanged at 10,631 and 10,623 respectively during the day, leaving the Union Territory, which has seen four deaths so far, with an active caseload of four.