The fervor of Ganesh Chaturthi was missing as it began as a low-affair on Saturday in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in view of the pandemic. The 10-day festival started under the shadow of the pandemic, with the devotees confining the celebrations to their respective homes. As authorities banned the installation of idols in public places, the puja and other festivities were restricted. The festival began on a lackluster note in Hyderabad, which ranks only after Mumbai in terms of the scale of the annual festival.

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For the first time in over four decades, no pandals or makeshift tents were installed at public places to display the Ganesha idols in the city. The Telangana government has appealed to people to celebrate the religious festival at their homes. Animal Husbandry Minister T Srinivas Yadav requested people not to hold any public event. According to Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samithi, the organizer of the annual festivities in Hyderabad, the traders and residents’ welfare associations have not installed Ganesha idols for the first time in four decades.

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Every year, thousands of big idols of the deity are set up in markets, on roads, in colonies and other public places. During the 10-day festival, over 50 lakh devotees used to throng these venues to participate in puja and other festivities. According to festival organizers, the pandemic had directly or indirectly impacted the livelihood of three lakh persons in Hyderabad and other parts of the state. They included idol-makers and other workers engaged for organizing the festival.

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