Live Blog: Ganesh Chaturthi festival starts today amid pandemic

Lalbaugcha Raja has a 4 ft 'moorti' this year, the first time ever such an idol has been placed at the iconic site. The deity is in a reclining position instead of the usual seated pose.

Ganesh Chaturthi has gone virtual this year at the famous Siddhivinayak Temple. The morning aarti performed by the priests was broadcast live on their official website and Facebook page.

Famous Sculptor Ashish Sansare has made an idol of Lord Ganesha representing javelin thrower and Olympic Gold medalist Neeraj Chopra.

Bollywood celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Neha Dhupia, and Sara Ali Khan greeted people on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have greeted people on Ganesh Chaturthi, wishing happiness and good fortune to all.

The livelihood of people associated with the festival, which generates a turnover of Rs. 70 crore to Rs. 100 crore (in Mumbai), continues to be impacted due to the pandemic.

The Maharashtra home department has issued a circular banning visits to pandals so as to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

All major financial markets, including BSE, NSE, forex, commodity, and money markets, are closed on Friday on account of Ganesh Chaturthi.

For bringing the idols and during their immersion, there will not be over 10 people in the processions of public mandals, the BMC said in the guidelines.

The Mumbai civic body issued fresh guidelines for the Ganpati festival and banned physical darshan for devotees at public pandals and imposed restrictions on the number of participants in processions during celebrations.

Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations at public places in Delhi have been barred by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.