Ganesh Chaturthi fest begins with fervour

LUCKNOW: Amid reverent thoughts and overwhelming festive gaiety, Ganpati Bappa came back to the house of his devotees on Sunday. The much awaited ten-day long festival of Ganesh Chaturthi started in ritualistic manner embracing both Marathi and non-Marathi folk all through the city of nawabs. Day one marked the sthapana of the mahabali.
Elaborating more, a Marathi native in the state capital Dinkar Rao said, "The idols are carried from the market with their faces covered with a saffron cloth amidst chanting and the sound of cymbals.By the evening, the idol is seated in majestic splendour in puja premises. Ganesh is installed as the omnipotent one who takes precedence over all others at a place where all the family members can gather around."
He said the priest then performs a ritual by which the idol is said to be imbued with life. Next follows the traditional puja. Worshippers bathe and the priest wears a silken lower garment, usually red, with a shawl around his shoulders. The puja began at the time designated according to calculations based on the ritual calendar.
The ceremony began by placing the image, usually made of terracotta, in a sacred arena, symbolic of a throne. The worshipper then sips holy water and performs pranayama, bows and prostrates before Ganesh and all the other gods. This followed singing of ganpati aarti and the atharvashirdha with accompaniment of cymbals, bells and rhythmic clapping. The last rite for the day is offering of 'modak' or prasad to the deity with flowers after which the prasad is distributed to the devotees.
Anuradha Khelekar, a Marathi woman in Maqboolganj Puja pandal said, "The preparations begin in advance. The house has to be cleaned, especially the place where the idol is to be placed. Often people prefer re-decorating it to invite good omen." She said that women prepare modak at houses. One of the modaks contains salt inside it. It is believed that Lord Ganesha bestowed special blessings on the person who gets the salty modak.