Team Herald
PANJIM/MARGAO: Intermittent rains on Friday failed to dampen the festive spirit as the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi began with the usual religious fervour.
A large number of devotees thronged to temples across the State to take part in the celebrations, even as rains lashed various parts of the State, after an almost relatively dry spell.
This festival, the favourite of Hindus in Goa, led to chants of ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya’ reverberating in every town and village across the state.
As families pray for luck and prosperity, many also prepare nevryo, coconut ladoos, besan ladoos, sabudana ladoos, boondi ladoos, rava ladoos or puran poli as nivedhyam. Apart from sweets, the other popular recipes prepared during Chaturthi are varan-rice, batata bhaji and wheat pooris.
Unlike the celebrations in Maharashtra, the Ganesh puja in Goa is held at the home, the festival being more of a family celebration.
“Ganesh Chaturthi is a much-awaited festivals for kids, as it is the only time when all the family members come together to celebrate the festival with joy,” said Umang Desai.
Traditional musical instruments like the taso take centre stage during this period as families get together to sing aartis, which are performed twice a day.
Apart from family celebrations, many people were seen at the Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsavs across Goa in large numbers, singing and chanting “Ganpati Bappa Morya”.
Panjim municipal market saw a big crowd of shoppers on Friday afternoon, especially children buying fireworks.
“I love Ganesh festival, as it is the only time we can enjoy with our cousins together by dancing and by lighting fireworks,” said 12-year-old Raunak Naik.
Besides celebrations and performing pujas at homes, the Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav across Goa will witness many events and competitions during the festive season.
The first immersion day is Saturday, when a large number of families will immerse the idols in water bodies across the State.
Meanwhile, the festival was celebrated with great pomp and ardour in Margao on Friday with hundreds of people gathering at the places where the community or “sarvajanik” Ganesh idols are installed.
Most Hindus worship the idol at their homes for one and a half day and will immerse the idol on Saturday evening. However, some who have taken a vow worship the idol for five days at their homes.
However, in Margao what grabs everybody’s attention is the sarvajanik celebration which started first at the Pimpal Katta in New Market area. This is the 61st year the idol is installed here and is worshipped by people from not only Margao but different parts of Goa.
This idol will be immersed on the 11th day with great fervour and till then everyday there will be entertaining programmes like Marathi play, Konkani play, orchestra, cinema show and also some programmes of kirtans and bhajans.
The other prominent sarvajanik Ganesh idol is the one installed in the municipal garden by Margao Municipal Council workers which is installed for the 28th year this time. This idol will be immersed on the seventh day.
Residents of Comba also install a sarvajanik Ganesh idol in their ward. According to Vallabh Sadanan Musurkar the founder president of the committee that started this celebration, it began with the sole purpose of doing something collectively where all the people from the ward could be involved.
The first idol was installed here in the year 1992 and this idol is immersed on the 5th day.
The Ganesh idol installed at the District Police Headquarters also grabs attention. Police have been installing Ganesh idols at the police station right from the time of the Portuguese rule as that facility was given to them by the then rulers since they could not take leave for the festival to celebrate it with their family.
The idol installed at the Margao police district headquarters has a unique design of pillars and will be immersed on the fifth day though earlier it used to be immersed on the 11th day along with the idol at Pimpal Katta.
An impressive Ganesh idol is also installed at Aquem junction for the 35th year this time. Besides the Ganesh idol, there are moving idols of Lord Krishna along with Radha and some womenfolk. Former teacher at neighbourng T B Cunha High School named Belge got some local people together and started this community celebration at Aquem.
This idol will be immersed on the ninth day.
