Elephant idols’ size reduced as virus fears hit Indian festival

INDIAN authorities have imposed tough anti-coronavirus restrictions on gatherings and the size of Ganesha elephant god idols for one of the biggest religious festivals of the year, which started yesterday.

The 10 days of prayers and family gatherings for Ganesh Chaturthi started under a pandemic cloud, with the country approaching three million infections and 56,000 deaths.

Most major cities have ordered that effigies of the elephant-headed god Ganesha, which can draw thousands of Hindu devotees on to the streets, be reduced in size.

Traditionally, the idols can tower 10m (30ft) high or more and need dozens of people to carry them. However, this year authorities have said they can be no taller than 1.1m (3ft 7in) in a bid to cut crowds.

In New Delhi, no Ganesha idols will be shown in public, while hard-hit Bombay has cut back access to the seafront to immerse Ganesha figures, usually the highlight of the festival.

Tens of thousands traditionally flock to the beaches on the final day of the festival to immerse elaborately decorated figurines of the deity in the Arabian Sea. This year, authorities in India’s financial capital have constructed hundreds of artificial immersion ponds across the city to stop hordes crowding the waterfront.

Devotees will also be able to leave their elephant idols at collection centres and volunteers will immerse them in the sea.

Authorities want devotees to mark the festival at home, dampening enthusiasm among pandemic-weary locals. Even idols worshipped at home must be no more than 33cm (13in).

“Every year I looked forward to Ganesha celebrations and visited a nearby lake to watch idol immersions. But this year, we are not even inviting friends home for traditional prayers,” Bombay-based analyst Ruta Amin said.

In a sign of the times, one of the rare Ganesha elephants on display sprays sanitiser on to the hands of devotees who come to pray.