Bhubaneswar, Sept 5: Celebration of ‘Ganesh Chaturthi’ begins in Odisha with much pomp and gaiety. Students with new colourful dresses further added colour to the School/College campus. Schools and Colleges have decorated their campuses with colourful lights and other decorative materials. Ganesh Puja is known as the Lord of knowledge and prosperity, so students celebrate this festival with much devotion. Most of the students do fasting and take Prasad only after the ‘Puspanjali’.
It is almost celebrated in each family as because Ganesha is widely revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts, sciences and God of intellect and wisdom.
Not only at Educational Institutions, Families and individuals, have this annual festival transformed into big community celebrations across the state. In almost all the cities of the state, hundreds of Puja Pandals have been erected to do Puja by different clubs and associations. These organisations have been spending in lakhs in decoration as well as different cultural activities. Devotees of the locality are seen gathered on Puja Mandaps to offer Prasad to Lord Ganesha. Several Ganesh Puja committees have tried to build Ganesh images something new and unique. Materials used in preparing the idols ranged from expensive pearl bids to raw coconuts, Ping-Pong balls, mung-dal, cut-glasses, peacock feathers, shells, coins etc. Besides, puja mandaps have been created presenting themes of episodes not only from mythology, but also from incidents of the recent past.
It is raining since yesterday, but it has no impact on the devotees, students and people. As usual, they have started celebrating with full spirit.
