Ganesh Chaturthi today, one-day ritual to be performed at Bala Ganapati Vilas Kadma

Jamshedpur, Aug 21: The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, eagerly awaited by the denizens, will begin tomorrow. The festivities will be low key due to the wide spread of coronavirus.

Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival that is celebrated in almost each and every household of Jamshedpur with great devotion and faith. Lord Ganesha, is believed to bestow good luck and remove the obstacles from the life of an individual. Ganesh Chaturthi Festival falls on the 4th day of Bhadrava Shukla-Paksh.

People were seen busy in the last minute preparations. Artisans are giving the final touch to the Ganesha idols, Pandals are being decorated with glittering lights, flowers etc.Lord Ganesha is considered to be the god of wisdom, prosperity and good luck.

The city gears up for the preparations of Ganesh Chaturthi. Markets were flooded with Ganesha idols, decorative materials and special sweets for the festival. Traders, shopkeepers are doing brisk business this season. However, due to COVID-19, the puja committees will host a simple in view of social distancing norms in place.

This is the time to celebrate the festival with great pomp and show. People install Ganesha idols in their homes with a wish to get prosperity and happiness to their families. Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with a belief that Ganesh�the son of Lord Shiva and Parvati-bestows his blessings to their devotees.

Meanwhile, the city’s oldest Ganesh puja at Kadma has decided to cancel the 17-day long Ganesh Mahotsav due to the COVID- 19 pandemic. The 102nd year Puja organised by Shree Bala Ganapati Vilas will be a low key affair.

An official of Shree Bala Ganapati Vilas said that in view of rising cases of COVID-19, the  Ganesh Mahotsav celebration this year will be a low-key affair. Instead of 17 days, it will be a one day affair with simple rituals to be performed. He went on to inform that they would perform the rituals in a simple manner at the club house located close to the Ganesh Puja ground. The Puja will take place following social distancing and other Covid norms.

Ganesh Mahotsav organising body has appealed to the people and devotees to perform puja at their respective homes and to refrain themselves from visiting the venue.

Notably, the  17-day Ganesh Mahotsav celebration at Kadma attracts a huge crowd from various parts of the city and other adjoining districts. Last year it witnessed a daily footfall of over 20,000 visitors.