Gripping under the novel Corona Virus threat, Mumbai and various parts of Maharashtra celebrated Rakshabandhan today in a constrained way.<br />'' <br />''The fisherman community living in the coastal parts of the state observes the day as Narli Poornima with hundreds of people usually thronging to beaches offering coconut to the sea.<br />'' <br />''This year the festivities were dampened following a ban on congregation of people around the beaches to avoid any contamination of the disease.<br />'' <br />''AIR correspondent reports, every year, hundreds of people from the fishermen community in the Konkan region gather around beaches on the occasion of Narli Poornima to offer auspicious fruit coconut to the sea God.<br />'' <br />''The occasion is significant for the fishermen community as this marks the beginning of fishing and water trade among the community.<br />'' <br />''This year, in the backdrop of the Corona epidemic, the administration had appealed to the people to avoid gathering in numbers which has left very few people visiting the beaches.<br />'' <br />''The beaches in Malvan, Vengurle and Devgad taluka as well as the banks of the Moti Lake in Sawantwadi which are usually crowded on the Narli Pournima, wore a deserted look.<br />'' <br />''The traders of the Malvan region who every year take out a procession avoided doing the same this year.<br />'' <br />''In Palghar district, people chose to celebrate the occasion at home only in a simple manner.<br />'' <br />''<span style="color: #222222;">Also in Versova Koliwada area in Mumbai, breaking the practice to avoid crowding, people were asked to offer coconut to sea in the morning which is usually done in the evening every year in presence of a large gathering.</span><br />