With Ganesh Chaturthi to be celebrated today, Amdavadis are braced up to welcome the Elephant God to their homes. Idols are already in place with themed Mandaps getting the final touches.
With Ganesh Chaturthi to be celebrated today, Amdavadis are braced up to welcome the Elephant God to their homes. Idols are already in place with themed Mandaps getting the final touches.
Like every year, installed idols are complemented by background themes – as myriad as from gutkha ban to plastic bottles – to attract the maximum devotees. Historical motifs, anti-corruption and protecting temples are other themes that promise to be popular this festive season.
A mandap at Bhadra’s Vasant Chowk highlights historical structures while another one nearby focuses on preservation of old temples. Managed by the Om Group Trust, the ‘historical’ mandap is structured like a palace with Lord Ganesha as its king. “We have arranged for a 14-feet-high idol made from fibre and have called it ‘Lal Darwaja ka Maharaja’, drawing impression from Mumbai’s famous Lalbaugcha Raja,” says Jayendra Rajput, treasurer of Om Group Trust. The unique idol was installed on Tuesday after being brought in on a truck from Vadodara. A sprinkler has been pressed into service for a fountain in the background.
For the ‘preserving temples’ theme, members of Bhadra Yuvak Mandal have used thermocol to create replica of ancient temples of Maharashtra. The Ganesha idol, made by one of the members, Vijay Naik, is made of clay and thus, eco-friendly. “The idol is painted with natural colours to reduce water pollution after immersion,” said Pravin Jagtap, president of Bhadra
Yuvak Mandal.
Popular for its mandaps, Maninagar’s Dakshini Society this year has depicted Lord Ganesha slaying the demon of corruption and inflation. “The 11-feet-tall idol has the Lord with a sword in his hands, killing the demon of corruption. The hands moves too with the help of a hydraulic motor,” said Parag Naik of Shri Shivshakti Yuvak Mandal, organising body of the Dakshini Society.
The organisers have also set up a cutout of Swami Vivekananda that brings out the theme of ‘Utsav thi azaadi, utsav thi vikas’ (freedom through festivals, development through festivals). Over 100 lamps will illuminate the stage, highlighting social messages on corruption, gutkha ban and others.
CP bans PoP immersion: City commissioner of police has issued a notification banning immersion of Ganesha idols made from Plaster of Paris (PoP), but its implementation will be a challenge for the civic body. “City police will hold a meeting with organisers and inform us accordingly,” said Capt Dilip Mahajan, deputy municipal commissioner of AMC.
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