Mumbai: The 10-day Ganesh festival began in Mumbai, Pune and other parts of Maharashtra on Wednesday, with people enthusiastically welcoming their favourite elephant-headed god into their homes, housing complexes, and public pandals.
Chants of ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya, Mangal Murti Morya’ filled the morning air as small, medium and large idols of the deity, accompanied by rhythmic beats of ‘dhol-tasha’(drums), made their way into the devotees’ hearts and homes.
Elaborate decorations have been put up all over Mumbai to welcome the Lord, revered as the harbinger of prosperity and destroyer of obstacles.
For the first time, the Maharashtra government has declared the Ganesh celebrations as a state festival.
Multiple activities, programmes, celebrations and competitions have been organised by the state culture department during these ten days of festivities.
Mandals (groups that celebrate the festival in public places) have been urged to take initiatives to raise awareness of the 12 forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj that have been accorded the UNESCO World Heritage status as well as Operation Sindoor and the spirit of ‘swadeshi’.