Happy Ganesh/Vinayak Chaturthi
5 Great Places to Celebrate Unforgettable Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chavithi, is a popular Hindu festival celebrated in honour of the elephant-headed god Ganesha. It falls on the fourth day of the Hindu month Bhadrapada, usually in August or September. This year this festival will begin on 25th August. The festival generally lasts 10 days, ending on the fourteenth day of the fortnight (Anant Chaturdashi).
Ganesh Chaturthi festival is celebrated throughout India with great devotion. The festival is celebrated by families at home, by people at their places of work and in public. The public celebration involves installing clay images of Ganesha in public pandals and group worship. The seven to ten days long festival ends with the ‘Ganesh Visarjan’ where the idols are immersed in the water; it is done as a procession with millions of people accompanying the idol along with music and dance. Tourists from across the globe come to India to witness the holy celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi as part of India tour packages.
Here are 6 places to visit to celebrate a wonderful and unforgettable Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
Mumbai
The passion and excitement with which Ganesh Utsav is celebrated in Mumbai remains unmatched. During Ganpati, the festive spirit takes over with the sounds of beating dhols and chants of Ganpati Bappa Morya echoing across the entire city. As the 10-day long festival unfolds in the city of dreams, life as you know it seems to pause. If you happen to be in the city during Ganesh Utsav, here are the best pandals in Mumbai you should visit.
• Lalbaughcha Raja
Lalbaugcha Raja is one of the most famous and revered Ganpati Darshans of the country. It draws an impressive crowd of believers every year.
• G.S.B Seva Mandal
This Ganpati pandal is believed to be richest mandal in the city. This year, the mandal has got an insurance cover worth Rs 300 crore for the idol adorned with 68kg of gold and 315kg of silver.
Pune
Though Mumbai is pretty darn famous for its Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, Pune isn’t too far behind. The city always makes elaborate arrangements for the festival. It is believed that during the reign of the Peshwas, who considered the elephant-headed god as their patron deity, Ganesh worship engulfed Pune.
Among hundreds of Ganpati pandals in Pune, Shri Kasba Ganpati Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, Tambdi Jogeshwari Ganapati Mandal, Guruji Talim Ganpati, Tulshi Baug Ganpati Mandal, Kesariwada Ganeshotsav Trust, and Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Trust are the most famous.
Hyderabad
Like Mumbai and Pune, Hyderabad is also one of the famous places in India to witness the grand celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi. Ganapathi Navaratri utsavams in Hyderabad starts on Vinayaka Chavithi (Ganesh Chaturthi) and ends on Anantha Chaturdashi day with Ganesh Immersion. Hyderabad hosts nearly 75,000+ Ganesh pandals. The famous places where Ganesha idols are erected and decorated fascinatingly are Khairatabad, Balapur, Kamalanagar Chaitanyapuri, Durgam Cheruvu, Old City (Gowlipura) and New Nagole.
Khairatabad in Hyderabad hosts one of the largest Ganesh idols in the country. Balapur Ganesha is known for its Laddu auction since 1994 and it was acquired for over Rs. 10 lakhs in 2015. In Old City of Hyderabad, Gowlipura Ganesh Pandal is one of the oldest and very popular Ganesh utsav samithi. Devotees immerse the idols of Lord Ganesh in the Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad. Lakhs of devotees join the procession and fill the whole atmosphere with chanting of Lord Ganesha.
Goa
Renowned for its beaches and hipster culture, there’s a religious side to Goa, which most of us choose to ignore. The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi holds a special significance in almost all the religious cities and villages of Goa, specially Mapusa, which is famous for its temples at Ganeshpuri and Khorlimas well as the local association, who also worship the lord with great fervour. In Goa, the Chaturthi is commonly called Chovoth. As with many other religious festivities the people have their own traditions and observances that add a distinctly Goan flavour to the festival.
Ganpatipule
The name itself suggests that the place will be lively enthusiastic during this festival. For five days, the Ganapatipule temple in Maharashtra becomes the centre of grand activities.
Ganpatipule is a small town located in Ratnagiri district on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra. It has a series of beaches and vantage points offering some stunning views of the sea. The 400 years old Swayambhu Ganpati Temple, on the Ganapatipule beach itself is the primary attraction in Ganapatipule that draws thousands of pilgrims every year. The Swayambhu Ganapati Temple of Ganapatipule is known for its unique idol of Ganapati built on pule (white sand). It is believed to have originated by itself (swayambhu). It is one of the Ashta Ganapati temples of India and is known as Paschim Dwar Dewata. The idol of Ganapati here is made out of copper and depicts the God astride a lion. It is placed in the Sanctum Sanctorum and at sunrise and sunset a shaft of golden light penetrates and illuminates the idol.
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