PONDA: The Sadar Ponda Kranti Maidan Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, which has been celebrating the 11-day Ganesh Chaturthi for nearly 5 decades, has now decided to curtail the celebration to just one-and-a-half days.
The committee took the decision at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Raya Borkar.
Borkar said, “Since COVID cases are increasing rapidly we have decided to curtail the celebration to one-and-a-half days. This is because this celebration attracts devotees in large number and it will difficult to control the crowd.”
The Ganesh Festival is celebrated at Kranti Maidan premises located in front of Ponda Police Station with the participation of thousands of devotees each year.
However, this year, the committee has decided not to celebrate the festival at public place, but instead in the committee hall housed in a building behind Saraswati Temple at Tisk by following COVID guidelines including social distancing.
However, most cultural programmes and competitions will not be held this year.
On August 22, the Ganesh idol will be installed in the hall at Tisk and the same will be immersed in the Kapileshwar Temple Lake on August 23 at night.
However, the committee has decided to celebrate the golden jubilee of the festival next year in a grand way.
Meanwhile, the seven-day Ganesh celebrations across Ponda have also been curtailed to one-and-a-half days.
