Preparations for Ganesh Chaturthi, which begins on September 14, are actively continuing across the country. In the city of Surat, Gujarat state, preparations for the festival are also gaining momentum to make Ganesh Utsav grand and unforgettable.
A very large-scale Ganesh Utsav celebration will be organized in the Wesu area of the city. Under the initiative of the Lokmanya Tilak Ganesh Utsav Committee, there are plans to install a huge decorative pavilion in the shape of a palace. This extensive pavilion covers an area of about 40 thousand square meters.
The main feature of this event will be the impressive and attractive statue of the god Ganesha. This time, a statue approximately 22 feet high is planned to be installed. Notably, about 700 kilograms of paper napkins will be used to create this figure. The purpose of using paper napkins is to give the statue a lighter and more environmentally friendly character.
According to the organizers, they aim for Ganesh Utsav not to be limited only to religious rituals but also to include community service and social significance. Various religious events will be held in the pavilion during the ten days of the festival. Different singers will be invited to perform religious songs and bhajans, allowing devotees to experience not only reverence for Lord Ganesha but also to enjoy music.
Furthermore, the committee pays special attention to social initiatives. During Ganesh Utsav, elderly people and women residing in nursing homes and shelters will be specially invited and honored. The organizers want to bring the joy of the festival to those members of society who are far from their families for some reason.
According to organizer Pooja from the Lokmanya Tilak Ganesh Utsav Committee, they are celebrating Ganesh Utsav together for the first time. Since Ganesha is considered the king, his palace must be decorated accordingly. Therefore, the theme of their event is a royal court. And the statue itself is an eco-friendly 22-foot figure of Ganesha made from paper napkins.
She added that they worship the god for 10-11 days, but during immersion, the statue often gets destroyed, which she believes is an insult to the god. Therefore, their group decided that Bappa's statue should be eco-friendly and made from paper napkins to ensure environmental preservation.