Daijiworld Magazine, Vol.12, Issue 4, September 2020

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DAIJIWORLD Magazine | September 2020
ing of that sort of extravaganza.
In several places like Lalbaugh
and Chembur where huge statues
of Ganapati used to be installed
every year, in this year the celebrations
were cancelled while in
other places like the GSB Wadala
Ganpati the celebrations were
postponed to Maghi Chaturthi
to coincide with Lord Ganesha’s
birthday, in February 2021 according
to their calendar.
Prior to the celebration in the
year, the state home department
released a set of guidelines that
asked people to maintain social
distancing and the department
directed all mandals to stream
darshan via Facebook, cable television,
websites and other mediums.
The public crowding was
avoided and the height of Ganpatis
at mandals was asked to be reduced
to not more than four feet.
In addition the mandals were
urged to postpone immersion or
use marble or metal Ganesha idols
at home. Instead of public immersions
at Girgaon Chowpatty,
the BMC provided five artificial
lakes at different places like Grant
Road, Tardeo, Malabar Hill, Mumbai
Central and Girgaon for the
immersion of Lord Ganapati. Instead
of immersions the ministry
urged mandals to organise health
camps, blood donation camps and
create awareness about how to
control the spread of the virus.
BANDRA FAIR CANCELLED,
CHURCH ASKED TO STEAM
MASS ONLINE
As the Mumbaites are aware,
in September in every year, the
people of all faiths from across
the city throng to the Bandra Fair,
which is held to celebrate the birth
of Mount Mary. The fair has been
held for nearly 350 years. However,
this year, Bandra’s streets were
deprived of the usual pomp and
the bevy of stalls. However, the
devotees of Mother Mary can still
catch the mass online, as Mount
Mary Basilica announced its plan
to broadcast the Holy Masses via
social media or public websites/
TV channels. According to the past
records, the last time the festivities
were cancelled likewise was during
the Bombay Plague in 1895.
The inability to celebrate
birthday, wedding or anniversary,
unable to visit one another,
unable go to work, unable to attend
school, unable to meet one
another in public places and the
worst the challenges that we face
in celebrating our festivals, what
COVID 19 has in stock for us? Perhaps
we are confronted with the
true uncertainty of human existence
and the true vulnerability
of human life. How often have
so many of us believed that we
are supreme masters of the world
around us. But now it’s time to realize
that the real control is not in
our hands.
We are brought face to face
with the most basic questions of
life. What are we here for? What
have we done with our lives?
What do we yet wish to do if given
the opportunity? The pandemic
leads us to some painful insights:
If we know who is truly important
to us and what we truly cherish,
then why have we spent so
little of our lives pursuing these
things?
he Covid-19 pandemic demonstrates
to us the value of freedom
– the freedom to move, to be with
those we love, to live in dignity
and security – for ourselves and
for those around us, from our
loved ones to the refugees and the
downtrodden, it shows us the terrible
folly of pretending that we
can achieve security in isolation,
within the borders of our nation,
culture, class or religion. The religious
insight that all people are
created in the image of God called
us to recognize that everyone on
earth is worthy of our respect and
care.u