Chaturthi under a mask

It is certainly the most popular festival in the
state. Ganesh Chaturthi in Goa means everyone is in a state of feverish
excitement as families meet and celebrate the arrival of Ganpati. This year
however the virus has ensured that the old ways cannot continue. Personal
contact is generally out and prudence dictates that one maintain social
distancing. It is a challenging time for everyone. A festival is a time of
inhibited celebration, which however will not be possible now. The virus has
ensured that. It however does not mean people will not enjoy themselves.
Sanjay Kumbharjuvekar a resident of Virlosa,
Penha-de-Franca felt it was a time of the year that everyone waited for but the
virus and the mushrooming cases meant one would have to conduct everything on a
low profile. He said “In solidarity with the people who have lost relatives and
those fighting this virus, I intend to keep it a low key affair. It will be a
challenge to uphold age-old traditions and rituals in line with various
restrictions and SOPs in place; however, we shall overcome this too and look forward
to celebrating Lord Ganesha’s grand festival with high spirit and fervor in the
coming years”. 
He said all the puja’s would be conducted
following social distancing and maintaining personal hygiene. He also felt it
was important to take care of vulnerable senior citizens, children, and
patients at this point in time. It is not uncommon for many Goans to return
home to their ancestral village.
Shrivallabh Sardessai from PDA Colony, Alto
Porvorim usually goes home to his ancestral house in Savoi Verem. This year
however plans may have to change. He said “The idol is brought in by villagers
and they also take it for immersion. The puja is done by us. However this year
due to COVID we have postponed our celebrations. Some villagers over the years
have started bringing their own idols. However, that too is expected to be a
low key affair this year.”
Dr Siddhi Mahambre Shetye from Vasco said he
intended to follow all the protocols set by the authorities. She said “As
responsible citizens, Chaturthi this year will have to be planned in a way that
there is minimum contact. The ‘Vighnaharta’ will surely understand if we modify
the rituals a little and keep our loved ones safe. Once everything cools down,
we can always celebrate the fact that we came out of this pandemic a little
wiser and a lot stronger. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it is the
fact that everything can be taken care of if you have your friends and family
by your side”.
He designs offices and buildings but he is also
a devout believer in Ganpati. Architect Balchandra Wagle from Porvorim said he
intended to follow all the rules and was sure lord Ganesha was coming on earth
to kill Corona. He said “If we don’t support him then he is also helpless, so
let us celebrate Ganesha with mask and sanitizer this year so that we won’t
have to wear it for Navaratri and Diwali at least.
This time we will also go to each other’s place
for Ganesh but via Zoom and Whatsapp video call. We will also not use
firecrackers or loud music during the visarjan and there will only be two of us
who will go for visarjan. I believe if everyone follows this, we will be
playing dandiya next month.”
This year may also be interesting because the
puja’s will have to be done by family members. Akash Borkar from Panajim smiled
and said “We will be doing the puja ourselves as most of the Pujaris come from
out of state. Earlier everyone from the locality would go to each one’s house
to do Ghumat Aarti. This year we will also be doing the aarti all by ourselves.
Our relatives would come to Goa but not this year. All in all, it will be
relatively low key”.
Praying via the digital platform is expected to
take off this year. Satish Rajmane from Porvorim said he intended to keep the
idol for a day and a half. Satish said “We will be doing a virtual Ganesh
Festival this year, wherein our friends and relative will do the Ganesh
Darshan, aarti using the online virtual platform. Considering how bad the
situation is it makes sense to not invite anyone home.”
Sunaya Shirodkar from Margao also intends to use
technology to keep in touch. She said “For my family, the huge festival season
of Ganesh will be a little different this year. Thinking of the well being of
oneself and society, we shall be abiding by all the rules issued by the Govt. I
believe we can always use technology to connect us to our loved ones we can’t
be with and also use it to celebrate the festival of Ganesh”.
People from all over the state made it quite
clear they intended to enjoy but judiciously.