Wondering how to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi in your Co-operative Housing Society during COVID-19? Don’t worry, we got your back.
The days are going by quickly and it’s already that exciting time of the year where we celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi in our society. This festival is close to our hearts because it marks the birth of Lord Ganesha, who is the symbol of new beginnings and a fresh start - something that we desperately need this year.
By this time, we should all be busy with Pujas in our homes and our residential housing societies. There are mouthwatering modaks to be made as well as beautiful rangolis on our doorsteps. Not to mention the art, music, and dance on the stage or auditorium of our society. But like every other festival so far this year, it seems that this one would also be quaint, nonchalant, and online - at least for the most part.
But don’t be discouraged. There are ways to retain the festive enthusiasm and cheerful vibe by following the Precautions & Safety Guidelines for Housing Societies during the celebrations. Here are some tips to help you celebrate an amazing Ganesh Chaturthi in your cooperative housing society this year.
1. Keep it Elegant & Eco-Friendly
Arrange for a main idol in your housing society. It need not be too flashy or expensive, you can have a beautiful idol placed in the common area of the society premises. This would be the core of your celebrations. You can decorate the idol with blossoming flowers, and choose an idol that is both beautiful and eco-friendly (water soluble).
The residents can conduct the Pooja here one family at a time and not crowd on this location. They can take pictures and upload them on society groups and social media. If some of the residents can't attend the Pooja in case they are quarantined or if they are senior citizens, then the family members or other residents can also have a video call with them during the Pooja to have them participate in it.
2. Arrange for a Common 'Visarjan' Spot Within the Society.
At the end of the ten-day festival when it is time for the Visarjan, the society administrators can arrange for a large tub to be placed in the premises, where residents can participate in the ceremony by bringing the Ganesh Murthy from their home.
To make sure that proper social distancing and use of masks is maintained through the Visarjan, you can appoint Security Guards or even better, your CCTV (yes that’s right, Powered by VZTrack’s Artificial Intelligence) and have a safe celebration.
3. Whip Up Some Delicious Homemade Sweets
You are what you eat, therefore eat something sweet! Ganesh Chaturthi is never complete without mouthwatering homemade desserts such as jalebis, modaks, and other delicious namkeen snacks. Now because of the lockdown, we have an incredible opportunity to manifest the cook within us. So society administrators should encourage all the families to prepare sweets at home, you can do this in your society meetings. You will not only save a lot of money on celebrations, but also encourage a more sustainable way of celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi.
4. Organise A Live Online Celebration With Fun Games!
Indeed, we must not gather in our society to celebrate by dancing, playing games, and greeting each other at get-togethers, since all of these activities require us to unavoidably indulge in a crowd, which increases the risk of spreading the virus. This can be especially hard if your housing society has never missed a single Ganesh Chaturthi Celebration, but do not let this pandemic stop you. Now is the time to be innovative and smartly use technology. What better way is there to celebrate this festival that symbolises change and new beginnings?
You can come up with various online games to play with your society residents during the celebrations. For eg, your society could hold an online event using apps such as Zoom and Google Meet where you could have a casual dance competition, rangoli competition or a singing session and have your residents participate via a group video call. You could also give your residents some fun tasks to do and have them take pictures of it and upload it to the society group when they are done. When the celebrations are over and it is time for the rituals such as Pooja or the Visarjan, then it could be broadcasted live to all of the society residents via the notices through the VZTrack App.
So as you can see, there are a lot of creative ways that you can celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi this year. Do not let the pandemic bring down your festive joy and try to make the best of this situation regardless of the common problems that everyone is facing right now. Share this article with your neighbors and society admins to give them some good celebration ideas. We wish you a very happy & prosperous Ganesh Chaturthi, enjoy, stay safe, and #meetSafe with VZTrack. :)
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