Ganeshotsav 2022: Maharashtra celebrates the holiday season in joy and happiness with its Inhabitants, Celebrities and Chief Minister

On Wednesday, devotees fervently welcomed Lord Ganesh into their homes and puja pandals to begin the ten-day holiday, which is being observed without any COVID-19 restrictions for the first time in two years. People in urban and rural areas, famous people, including Bollywood celebrities, welcomed Lord Ganesh and offered 'modaks,' a traditional Maharashtrian dish, as 'prasad,' creating a festive atmosphere. Many devotees flocked to well-known Ganesh pandals, such as the Lalbaugcha Raja in south-central Mumbai, where they waited in line for several hours.

 

One of the movie stars who stopped by the Lalbaghcha Raja on the festival's first day was actor Kartik Aryan. The idols had been brought long before the celebration started by a large number of Ganpati mandals. Many pandals created ornaments with social messages based on various topics. Also crowded with worshippers was the well-known Siddhivinayak temple in Prabhadevi, in the heart of Mumbai. The processions started around 10 AM in Pune, the cultural centre of Maharashtra, and were accompanied by traditional dhol-tasha (drum) troupes.

 

The 'pranpratishtha' (consecration) of Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati, one of the most prominent Ganesh in the city, was carried out in the pandal created as a duplicate of the Panch Kedar temple following a great parade. The five "Manache" Ganpati processions, also known as the Ganesh idols that take precedence in the last day's immersion procession, were also carried out with much fanfare. These idols are Kasba, Tambdi Jogeshwari, Guruji Talim, Tulshibaug, and Kesariwada.

 

Additionally, Lord Ganesh was warmly greeted in the coastal Konkan region. Every year, tens of thousands of Konkani-born Mumbai residents visit home villages for the celebration. Due to restrictions placed on big gatherings brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, the festivities remained modest over the past two years. Eknath Shinde, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, welcomed Lord Ganesh to his official house, Varsha, in South Mumbai.

 

 

Image Courtesy: Twitter @themaktab