Festive fervour has taken over Bengaluru as preparations begin for Ganesha Chaturthi which falls on September 7. From star-studded cultural performances to unique styles of Ganesha idols, organisers have many plans for this year’s festival.
The Navodaya Geleyara Balaga is an association in Nagawara which is known for its celebrations in the surrounding localities. Its pandal attracts over 3,000 people every day. This year, the theme for the pandal is Hanuman.
“From the decorations to the idol, everything is centred around Hanuman this year. We have had special sets made up for the theme. Our Ganesha will be a standing 12-feet tall idol and will have six packs like Hanuman. The idol will also wield a gadhe (mace) like Hanuman,” said Subramani, one of the organisers from Navodaya Gelayara Balaga.
He also said that the celebrations will go on for three days after the festival and cultural programmes like dance and music have been organised every day, along with food donation. “We will have at least 200 kg of prasada prepared every day. We will also have the auction of a five-kg laddu,” he said.
Ganesha idols displayed on R.V. Road. | Photo Credit: K. BHAGYA PRAKASH
In most areas, similar celebrations have been organised with cultural programmes and food donation drives. While celebrations are held for three to five days from the day of the festival in most pandals, some of them organise it for 11 or 15 days.
Traders and other employees of Chickpet begin their celebrations early. Food donation drives start in the bustling shopping streets from Monday itself and will go on till the day of the festival. “In each street, there will be a different celebration. This is a festival celebrated by everyone,” said Sajjan Raj Mehta, a trade activist from the area.
Perhaps the city’s most popular Ganesha festival celebrations happen at the Bengaluru Ganesha Utsava (BGU), organised by the Sri Vidyaranya Yuvaka Sangha in south Bengaluru. The 62nd edition of BGU which will take place over 12 days from September 7 to 18 on the premises of Shankar Mutt in Shankarapuram will be “celebrating women”.
“There are 13 women members in our association and each day will be dedicated to one of those women. On one day, we will dedicate it to two of them. We have hundreds of women artists performing this time along with a handful of male artists. While we will have the likes of M.D. Pallavi, Sangeetha Katti, and Archana Udupa curating our Bhakti Sangeetha sessions, we will also have performances from Anuradha Paudwal, Kaushiki Chakraborty, and other women artists,” said one of the organisers.
Published - September 01, 2024 08:33 pm IST
