100's of Indian American devotees from all over the US have been thronging a Hindu-Jain temple in Philadelphia since last week to celebrate the 10-day Ganesh festival.
NEW YORK: Hundreds of Indian American devotees from all over the US have been thronging a Hindu-Jain temple in Philadelphia since last week to celebrate the 10-day Ganesh festival.
Amid chanting of 'Ganapati bappa morya', a Ganesh idol specially brought from Maharashtra was taken out in a decorated palanquin Saturday from the Bharatiya Temple. At several places, devotees clamoured to carry the palanquin on their shoulders and perform 'aarti' service.
The enthusiasm of second generation Indian American children sent a clear message that Hindu traditions in the country are here to stay and would grow in the coming years.
The celebrations will culminate on Sep 25, a temple press release said.
On Sunday, a similar Ganesh festival was organised by the Indian community in New York, which ended with a Rath Yatra, the traditional chariot procession.
The Bharatiya Temple of Montgomeryville, the Philadelphia Marathi Mandal and a few Indian organisations in the Philadelphia area have come together to celebrate one of the most important Hindu festivals.
Cultural artistes from all over the US and India are performing every evening at the venue.
Anand Bazaar, an outdoor market, is being planned over the weekend, where one can take the opportunity to enjoy traditional Indian food and shop for Indian ethnic clothing.
Bharatiya Temple is a multi-deity Hindu-Jain temple located in Montgomeryville, Philadelphia.
In India, the Ganesh festival is celebrated on a grand scale, especially in Maharashtra, where almost every locality installs huge and sometimes bejewelled idols. The immersion processions are a spectacle with thousands taking part.
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