The continuous rise in COVID cases has forced authorities in many states and UTs to impose a ban on Holi, Shab-e-Barat and Navratri celebrations.
COVID-19 cases are showing an upward trend in many states and Union Territories. Till Friday (March 26) morning India recorded 59,118 new cases taking its tally to 1,18,46,652. The country reported 257 fatalities on Thursday (March 25) taking the death toll to 1,60,949.
COVID-19 cases registered an increase for the 16th day in a row. This continuous rise in cases has forced authorities in many states and Union Territories to impose either a complete ban or restrictions on celebrations of festivals like Holi, Shab-e-Barat and Navratri.
Listed below are states, Union Territories and districts that have placed restrictions/ ban on playing Holi and other festivals:
1. Delhi- Public celebrations and gatherings, congregations during upcoming festivals like Holi, Shab-e-Barat, Navratri etc shall not be allowed in public places/public grounds/public parks/markets/religious places etc in NCT of Delhi, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) ordered March 23.
2. Maharashtra
Mumbai- On March 23, the BMC issued an order prohibiting the playing of Holi at public places and private spaces.
Pune- The district and civic authorities in Pune have banned celebrations of Holi on March 28 and Dhulivandan on March 29 in public and private places, including hotels, resorts, etc. The ban is on the celebration of festivals in a private or public way.
3. Uttar Pradesh- On March 23 the Uttar Pradesh government issued guidelines for celebrations of Holi, wherein permission has to be taken for any public function or procession that is organized on Holi. The organizers of the functions will have to ensure that social distancing is maintained and other COVID-19 protocols are followed even after obtaining permission. Meanwhile, People above 60 years, children below 10 years and those having comorbidities have been advised to remain indoors during the festival.
Noida- The Noida and Greater Noida administrations have banned the public celebration of Holi. The Gautam Budh Nagar Police had earlier limited the number of guests at Holi parties to 50 with an undertaking from the organiser.
4. Haryana- Haryana on March 24 banned public celebrations of Holi in the wake of rising cases of COVID-19. "The Haryana government has banned public celebrations of Holi in view of (rise in a number of cases of) corona…" Haryana Home and Health minister Anil Vij had tweeted.
5. Chandigarh- The Union Territory on March 25 banned celebrations of Holi at Sukhna Lake, Sector-17 Plaza and all public government parks. Restriction on entry to these places will remain in effect from 6 am to 6 pm on March 29. Recently, the UT administration had banned public gatherings for Holi celebrations and advised residents to observe Holi festival in their own houses, while strictly following Covid protocols.
6. Rajasthan- Amid a massive surge in Coronavirus cases, The Rajasthan Home Department on March 25, banned gatherings at public places, markets and religious places for Holi on March 28 and Shab-e-Barat on March 29.
7. Gujarat- On March 21, the Gujarat government said that no permission will be granted for the festival of Holi and violators will be strictly punished. Only the ‘Holika Dahan’ ritual will be allowed by the government, which will be celebrated in the presence of a limited number of people in villages and housing societies.
8. Karnataka- The has state government has banned public gatherings for upcoming festivals such as Holi, Ugadi, Shab-e-Barat and Good Friday across the state. Public gatherings will not be allowed in public grounds, parks, markets and religious places.
9. Odisha- The state has banned celebrations of Holi in public places. People have been allowed to celebrate Holi with family members inside their houses.
10. West Bengal- Gated communities in the state have been advised not to allow Holi gatherings. Clubs have also been told to not hold any Holi celebrations.
11. Bihar- The Bihar administration has banned ‘Holi-Milan’ gatherings in the state to avoid the spread of COVID-19.
12. Madhya Pradesh- With lockdown imposed in Indore, Bhopal and Jabalpur and several other cities, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that "people should avoid crowded places and also stop taking part in the festivities for some time. Even the Holi festival must be celebrated at home only."
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 "States and UTs that have banned Holi celebrations 2021, check list here")
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