Team Herald
PANJIM: The stage is set for the Ganesh Chaturthi festival beginning Friday, with Goa Police on their toes ensuring watertight security across the State and smooth flow of traffic. On the eve of the festival streets and markets across the State were crowded with shoppers.
The State Police have taken strict measures, particularly at Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandals that attract a large number of visitors including tourists. Most police stations across Goa are also celebrating the festival.
“Our police stations have also installed Ganesha idols, and we are ensuring tight security across all places. Besides the local police, the reserve battalion and the central para military forces have also been deployed to ensure smooth celebration,” a senior officer said.
Asked whether leaves of policemen, celebrating the festival, were cancelled, a senior IPS officer said, “The leaves have not been cancelled. However, there are no long leaves given to any.”
Meanwhile, Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrão, Governor Mridula Sinha and Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar have extended their greetings on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi.
In his message, the Archbishop said, “In the name of the Catholic community of Goa and in my own, I am glad to send cordial greetings and best wishes to all our Hindu brethren who celebrate the Festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, praying for God’s generous blessings to fall on every concerned household and individual. May the spiritual and material gifts that the deity is believed to bring along be theirs in abundance. As we, followers of a different faith, share in the joy of these brothers and sisters of ours on the occasion of their annual festival, I raise an earnest prayer that we may all imbibe the perennial values this festivity celebrates and, accordingly, embrace goodness and serenity that will lead us to wisely acknowledge God’s loving care present in our lives and to respond to it by generously sharing our resources with one another, in genuine concern.”
Extending her greetings, Governor Sinha said, “Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most important festivals of Goa. The celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi is considered as a community event as it is celebrated by all, irrespective of caste, creed and religion. The ‘Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav’ observed all over the country, was started by Lokmanya Tilak, a great freedom fighter, who believed that this festival could spread the message and gather public support uniting all sections of society, further strengthening the overall unity and integrity of the country and its secular outlook… It should be our endeavour to celebrate such auspicious occasions with mutual understanding and amity, in overall interest of our State and the country.”
The chief minister in his message said, ‘’I extend my personal greetings and compliments to the people of Goa on the occasion of Chavath. The sacred event of Ganeshotsav is a moment of great pride for all of us. May Lord Ganesh bestow his eternal bliss, peace and contentment and wishing all a very happy and blessed Chaturthi.”
Congress Chief Shantaram Naik has wished the people a happy festival stating, “May Lord Ganesh gives you all good health, wealth and success.”
