Ganesh Utsav, a 10-day Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Ganesha, begins today with devotees coming together in prayer to seek blessings for wisdom, prosperity, good fortune and new beginnings.
Lord Ganesha is revered as the remover of obstacles, and the festival traditionally begins with Ganpati Sthapana, where an idol of Lord Ganesha is installed.
Devotees perform prayers and aarti and make offerings including flowers, incense, diyas, fruits and sweets, particularly modak.
Families also welcome Lord Ganesha, affectionately known as Bappa, into their homes, while communities hold devotional and cultural programmes during the celebrations.
The festival concludes with Ganesh Visarjan, which is the immersion of Lord Ganesha’s idol in water.
Meanwhile, the Sanatan Shiv Mandir in Samabula will begin its Ganesh Utsav celebrations with the Ganapati Murti Sthapna at 7 tonight.
The Shree Ganesh Puran Katha will be held from tomorrow to next Thursday at 7pm each day.
The Mandir says devotees, families and members of the wider Sanatan community are welcome to visit and offer prayers to Lord Ganesha from today until next Friday.
