Nagpur: First, the Maharashtra government clearly mentions there is no public meeting that will be permitted during the Puja Chhath.
On Monday, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) forbade Chhath Puja in public, and instead appealed to Nagpuria to celebrate the festival in their homes.
NMC sequences even so, preparations for the Chhath celebration are in full swing in Nagpur.
The celebration of the Puja Chhath will start from sunset Tuesday and will end the next morning (November 10) with the sunrise.
Umakan Agnihotri, who worked as National President of Uttar Bhartiya Sabha, said Sabha had approached the Minister of District Nitin Raut and Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar to allow the Chhat Puja celebration in public.
“Every year, Sabha organizes preparation for Chhath Puja in 17 water bodies in all districts, which include three in the city – Ambazari, Lake Police Takli, and Lake Gorewada,” said Agnihotri, adding this year Sabha has started longer preparation.
He said Sabha had started preparations because they were very positive that the state government would loosen the sidewalk worn for the Puja Chhath.
“Despite the celebration of Navratra and Diwali, positive cases of Covid-19 are very control.
So, Sabha has been looking for relaxation from Raut and Kumar,” he said.
He also claimed that he would approach the Chairman of the Minister of Uddhav Thackeray who was looking for relaxation in the norms for the Puja Chhath.
“Denies the celebration of the Puja Chhath can harm public religious sentiments, especially North India,” he said.
Recently, the Mayor of Dayashankar Tiwari also asked CM to calm Covid-19 guidelines to allow the Puja Chhath to the Air City Agency.
The mayor has mentioned the decline in Covid-19 cases while looking for relaxation.
Agnihotri said Sabha would ensure the compliance of 100% Covid-19 protocol while organizing the Puja Chhath in a water body.
Support City Commissioner Ram Joshi said the NMC would replicate the guidelines issued by the Maharashtra government.
“According to the state notice, the celebration of the Puja Chhath in the lake and the river has been banned because of a pandemic,” said the additional commissioner.
“So it will apply in the city of Nagpur too,” he said.
However, the additional commissioners quickly showed that there would be no specific steps from the NMC to prevent residents from visiting Lake, especially Ambazari, Police Line Towli and Gorewada.
Joshi said the idol immersion in the lake was also banned this year but NMC had arranged artificial tanks near the lake.
“Likewise, we will not forbade worshipers to visit the lake,” he said, adding NMC urging citizens not to celebrate the public festival.