The Ganesh Chaturthi marks the beginning of the ten day Ganesh festival. The celebrations can be seen everywhere; the huge decorated pandals with the deity, attract hordes of devotees. The road side shops selling decorative papers and other things used for this festival become a common sight during this festival. The housewives, working professionals and the children eagerly shop for this festival. Even though this requires a lot of preparation, the family members manage their time to their best.

The new generation these days wants to celebrate the Ganeshotsav not just by keeping the traditions in mind; they are also quite enthusiastic about celebrating it with style and fervor. There has been an increasing trend amongst the households to hire professionals for decoration purpose; they want to have a new theme every year. They do not compromise on any aspect of the festival, when they welcome the deity in their household.

This year, the shopkeepers noticed an unusual trend in buying of the Ganpati idols in Pune. The demand for buying eco-friendly idols saw an all time rise. In fact, it increased three fold this year. This shows the increase in the awareness level of the citizens. These eco-friendly idols are made from natural clay, and instead of using chemicals, the idols are painted with geru, Fuller’s earth and other natural pigments.

The festival is a time for families and relatives to gather and spend some time with each other. They clean and decorate their houses and also observe fast to welcome the Lord of Wisdom. Most of the families offer homemade prasad and sweets. When it is time for the aarti, the entire family gathers to worship the Lord and seek His blessings.

The Ganesh festival is making its presence being felt across the globe. Those who cannot join their families get connected through the web cameras and internet to join the celebrations at home. In the modern age, it has become very easy for people to get connected on occasions like these.

When you worship the Lord, the most important is to feel the devotion coming out from your heart. Let us all enjoy the festivities, but let us not forget to add sincerity to our prayers and thank Him for all that we are blessed with. Happy Ganeshotsav!