Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru/Udupi (MS)

Mangaluru/Udupi, Sep 6: The Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts are preparing to celebrate the Ganesha Chaturthi festival. The Gauri festival will take place on Friday, followed by Ganesha Chaturthi on Saturday.

Within the Mangaluru police commissionerate limits, the Ganesha festival will be celebrated at 165 locations, while in the district limits, public celebrations are planned at 221 locations. Altogether, the Dakshina Kannada district will witness public Ganesha festivities at 386 locations.

Final touches are being made to the construction of pandals, welcome arches, and lighting setups. Sculptors are also putting the finishing details on Ganesha idols.

In Udupi district, various organizations and associations have completed preparations for the public Ganesha celebrations. On Thursday, the city witnessed a flurry of purchasing activity, with people buying flowers and other festival materials. Women were particularly seen buying items necessary for the Gauri festival, which will be observed on Friday. Most women perform the Gauri Pooja at home, while others visit temples where special poojas will be conducted.

Traffic congestion was noticeable in key areas such as Kalsanka, the city bus stand, Tenka Pete, and Badagupete. Despite intermittent rain, the festive spirit of the buyers remained unchanged, with public movement continuing into the night.

Many flower vendors from neighbouring districts have set up shop in Udupi city. Both flowers and fruits experienced heavy demand, and bakeries saw a large influx of customers buying sweets in preparation for the festivities.