The pandemic has changed the mood of the nation. Festivities are now restricted to the home. Long gone are those days of public gatherings and outdoor fun. Amid the omicron surge, the Maharashtra government has imposed Section 144 in Mumbai till December 31 at midnight. This means that social gatherings will be prohibited along beaches or tourist hotspots in the metropolis. Amid the Omicron scare, the BMC has banned NYE celebrations in indoor and outdoor spaces in Mumbai. The Maharashtra government also imposed fresh restrictions that ban the assembly of people in groups of more than five in public places.
BMC Did Not Allow Any Navratri Gatherings Across The City
The organisers ensured that they would be following all the COVID-19 norms including masks and sanitisation, and would allow only 50% capacity of the venue. However, the proximity in garba can pose a health challenge and this is why the BMC is not allowing any such gatherings in the city. In fact, physical darshan was not allowed in many places in Maharashtra during ‘Ganeshutsov’.
Also read: 7 Best Destinations To Celebrate Indian Festivals In Full Revelry
The Maharashtra government has prohibited garba, dandiya and other cultural celebrations for Navratri, to be celebrated between October 7 and October 15
(@faisalmushtaque reports)https://t.co/HgWgkzCIf3
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) October 4, 2021
Maharashtra Government Has Prohibited Navratri Functions
While Mumbai is not allowed to hold an event in Borivli, the municipality of Mira Road and Dahisar has permitted garba. The controversial part is that the Thane Municipal Corporation has also allowed garba. When it comes to virtual celebrations, so far only Ghatkopar Gujarati Samaj is planning to go live this year just like last year.
That said, An order with detailed guidelines was issued by the state home department which has prohibited garba, dandiya or any other cultural programmes. The community mandals have been asked to make arrangements for online darshan of idols through cable network and social media platforms.
Also read: 10 Restaurants Where Fasting Turns To Feasting This Navratri!
#Gujarat to see low-key #Garba events during #navratri2021 @RutamV reportshttps://t.co/xBIc7v6hVd
— Business Line (@businessline) October 5, 2021
Residents feel that the ban in Mumbai is unfair. Meanwhile, Gujarat has also issued curbs on Navratri celebrations.