GANDHINAGAR, INDIA, August 7, 2020 (Indian Express): With an aim to check the spread of Covid-19, the Gujarat government has prohibited mass celebration or public function of any religious festival and public fairs in the state, said an official release from Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja Friday. The release quoted Jadeja as saying that there were a number of representations from different Padyatra Sangh (foot march associations), service camps, and Ganpati Festival associations requesting a ban on public celebrations of various religious functions and foot march in public interest. And the decision has been taken in public interest while considering those representations, it added.
The state government has appealed to the people of Gujarat not to do public celebration of religious programs and festivals. It has appealed to people not to set up pandals of Ganpati in public and instead do Ganpati Sthapana of clay statues at home and do their immersions at home itself while maintaining a social distance norm.