New Delhi: August 19, 2020. On Day 19 of Unlock 3.0 on Wednesday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urged people to restrict Onam celebrations at home and use locally available flowers for flower carpet as supply from outside would increase chances of Covid-19 infection. In Maharashtra, police issued a model code of conduct for mandals to follow during Ganesh festival.
On the day, the Delhi government announced opening of hotels in the national capital. A decision has also been taken to de-link banquet halls from hospitals and allow weekly markets “on a trial basis”, officials from the Delhi L-G house said.
Meanwhile, for the first time since May, the overall Covid-19 positivity rate in the country has begun to decline, indicating that out of those who are being tested, far lesser number of people are being found infected now than earlier. After rising steadily for the last three months, the positivity rate reached a peak of 9.01 per cent on August 9, after which it started to decline. It has come to 8.72 per cent now.
India’s tally as of Wednesday stood at 27,67,273 with 64,531 new cases of Covid-19.
Here are some interesting stories on Day 19 of Unlock 3.0:
MP man cycles 105 km to take son to Class 10 exam centre
In the absence of any public transport, a 38-year-old man cycled 105 km with his son to ensure he did not miss his Class 10 boards supplementary examination. Shobhram said he did not want his son to waste one year by missing the supplementary paper.
With almost the entire world functioning virtually in Covid-19 times, Ganpati will give darshan on Zoom, Facebook and Google platforms during the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festival that has been cut short from 10 to one and a half days at most places due to the pandemic.
Every year in August, devotees ‘bring’ Ganesha into their house, temple, or pandal (temporary shrine) as a guest. The idol is worshipped with elaborate rituals for 10 days along with various cultural programmes. Festival organisers spend weeks in planning the pandals, decoration, programmes and gatherings. This year, with the festival approaching on August 22, they are busy creating social media links, arranging virtual darshans and ensuring safety and health protocols for those who will be there with the deity.
An artist gives final touches to a Ganesh idol ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi festival at a city workshop in Lucknow.
“This is the second time in 35 years we are bringing Bappa for only one and a half days. It is difficult to organise festivals in COVID times and breaking tradition is considered to be a bad omen,” Nivedita Pande from the organising committee told PTI.
Gurgaon-based Sarvajanik Ganeshotsava Samiti, in its 28th year, will have online celebrations for a week since this year is also the 100th death anniversary of Lokmanya Tilak, the architect of Ganesh Chathurthi celebrations.
“There will be no physical darshan, everything will be online only. We are not even revealing the place where we are having idol sthapana,” said Jeevan Talegaonkar from the organising committee.
