By Shivangi Adani:
There are people who love the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi and there are people who don’t, but nobody can fail to be in awe of the atmosphere that is created during the ten day festival. Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with great fanfare in Maharashtra, Karanataka and Telangana. Lokmanya Tilak, the nationalist leader, is not only responsible for the widespread celebration of the festival but is also responsible for the glory, the traditions and the way it is celebrated today.
The core rituals and traditions are still followed in all the Ganpati pandals and celebrations at home, such as distributing modaks, pujas, immersing the idol into the sea during visarjan and so on. Other than being a festival celebrated in the honour of Lord Ganesha, it is an excellent facilitator of social gathering. However, if Lokmanya Tilak and the staunch believers in Ganesha saw what has become of the festival now, they won’t be too happy about it.
This short film explains everything that is going wrong with the festival.
Video Courtesy: Laxman Godade