Bengaluru, Sep 14 (PTI) A large number of devotees thronged temples across Bengaluru on Monday as the city celebrated the Gauri-Ganesh festival with religious fervour and enthusiasm.
At the historic Dodda Ganapathi Temple in Basavanagudi, devotees began arriving early in the morning to offer prayers to Lord Ganesha.
Special pujas, abhisheka, floral decorations and other rituals were performed at the temple, with devotees standing in long queues for darshan.
Temple authorities said special rituals began around 2 am and prasadam (offering) would be distributed from 6 am till midnight. The temple management has also made arrangements to regulate the flow of devotees.
The festival is being celebrated on the same day as Gauri festival this year, with people installing idols of Gauri and Ganesha in their homes and neighbourhoods.
Several residents opted for eco-friendly Ganesha idols made of clay and other natural materials, with an emphasis on celebrating the festival in an environmentally responsible manner.
Sweet shops and households also prepared modak, a traditional delicacy associated with Lord Ganesha, as part of the festival celebrations.
Taking to social media platform ‘X’, Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar extended his festival wishes and printed that the State experiences bountiful rains and abundant harvests.
“Heartfelt Gauri-Ganesh festival greetings to the entire populace of the state. Wishing that Vighnaharta Shri Ganesh brings happiness, peace, and prosperity into everyone’s lives, I pray that the state experiences bountiful rains and abundant harvests, bringing smiles to the faces of our farmers,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara also extended his wishes on the occasion of Gauri Ganesha festival.
“May the obstacle-remover Ganapati remove all your hardships and bless you with happiness, peace, and prosperity, I pray,” he said, in his post on ‘X’.
According to Greater Bengaluru Authority, as many as 42 lake premises/temporary immersion tanks and 659 mobile tanks have been arranged across Bengaluru’s five city corporations for the immersion of Lord Ganesh idols during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
The mobile tanks have been deployed on a ward-wise basis to facilitate convenient immersion of idols, it said.
Elaborate security arrangements have also been made by the police at designated places to manage crowd and ensure smooth celebrations across the city. PTI AMP ROH
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