Rons Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai
Mumbai, Aug 30: The Gopalakrishna Public Trust, in association with BSKB Association (Gokul), celebrated Sri Ganesh Chaturthi with grandeur over three days. The celebrations began on Wednesday, August 27, under the patronage of Dr Suresh S Rao Katil and Vijayalakshmi Suresh Rao, with chief priest V M Ganesh Bhat performing the rituals, including a Ganahoma with 12 coconuts, marking the start of the festivities.
On Tuesday, August 26, an eco-friendly Ganesh idol was brought to Gokul and placed in a beautifully decorated mantap at the Sabha Bhavan. The next day, on August 27, chief priest V M Daregudde Srinivas Bhat formally installed the idol with rituals and offered the mangalarati. Over the next two days, Ganahoma rituals were conducted under the patronage of Dr Arun Rao and Shailini A Rao, and Prashanth Herle and Shrilakshmi P Herle. Each day, following the mangalarati offered by the temple priests, a public arati was held, accompanied by the traditional Ganesh arati song led by the youth wing.
As part of the cultural programmes, performances included bhajans by Sri Harikrishna Bhajana Mandali, Gokul, and Sri Krishna Bhajana Mandali; a devotional music concert by Vidushi Uma Kumar; Bharatanatyam by Radha Krishna Dance Academy; bhajans by Sri Gopalakrishna Bhajana Mandali and Jai Ambe Bhajana Mandali; a dance drama by Gokul members; Kathak by Vidushi Madhura; Bharatanatyam by Vidushi Divya Prasad and Kumari Bindu of Kala Bindu Bharatanatyam School, Bengaluru; bhajans by Sri Skanda Bhajana Mandali; and devotional music by Vidushi Sandhya Prasanna Bhat and Kumari Vaishnavi P Bhat from Nellithirtha.
The youth wing also organized a workshop on making eco-friendly Ganesh idols, conceptualized and led by Kumari Aditi Manjarabettu. Many participants took part in the workshop and crafted beautiful idols.
On Friday, August 29, after the evening arati, the three-day Ganeshotsav concluded with the grand immersion of the idol in the Gokul premises, accompanied by a vibrant procession featuring Nashik dhol and dance. During all three days, devotees visiting the temple were served teertha and prasada.