Team Herald
MARGAO: Margao Town Police is monitoring 11 sites where Ganesh is being celebrated by the community in what is locally called Sarvajanik Ganesh celebrations besides of course the Ganesh idol they install within their premises for the benefit of police personnel who are on duty.
At three places, the celebrations will be for 11 days and these are the Sarvajanik Ganesh celebrations at Pimpalkatta, the one installed at Telephone Exchange and at Aquem in powerhouse quarters.
This is followed by the Sarvajanijk Ganesh near Pandava Church at Aquem, which is venerated for nine days.
At four places, the idol is worshipped for seven days namely at Colmorod, near Navelim panchayat, KRC quarters and the one installed in the Margao Municipal Council garden.
While at three places, it will be worshipped for five days namely the one at Vithal Mandir at Comba, one at Azad Nagar and the one at Shantinagar in Navelim ,which has been installed by the All Goa Banjara Lambani Social Welfare Association of Mandop.
Interestingly, while most of the Ganesh idols are purchased some organisers pay whatever they feel it deserves, the idol installed at the Telephone Exchange is donated by a well-wisher and the organisers did not have to pay anything for it.
The most prestigious idol installed at Pimpalkatta is prepared by Damodar Narvekar, who resides near Chowgule College and he does not charge anything for the idol. However, the organizers do give him some amount as per their calculations disclosed Motiram Parodkar of the organising committee.
The idol installed near Vithal Mandir Comba is prepared by Suraj Kundalkar from Khareband while the one at Santi Nagar was procured from Sanvordem and the one installed at Colmorod has been brought from Assolna.
The idol installed at Azad Nagar was brought from housing board while the one installed near Pandava Church at Aquem was brought from Karwar.
The Ganesh idol installed in the Konkan Railway Corporation colony has a police constable provided for security giving it company during the day while the organisers are there at the time of the aarti.
Incidentally, the Ganesh idols have been purchased for prices ranging from Rs. 9000 to Rs. 17,000 with the one at Aquem costing Rs. 30,000 while the one installed near power house costing Rs. 32,000.
