Mangalore: ‘ Saarvajanik Ganesha’ Procession Held in Bejai
from Nina Rai - pics - Dayanand Kukkaje
for Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore
Mangalore Sep 17: The idol of Lord Ganesha, the Hindu God who is revered as being the giver of wisdom and prosperity, was taken in a grand procession here, on the evening of Sunday September 16.
As the concluding part of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, the grand ‘saarvajanik’ idol of Lord Ganesha placed on huge open trucks started its auspicious journey from Nityananda Nagar at around 8.30 pm in a huge procession of jubilant devotees and merry-makers, singing and dancing unabashedly various religious songs and bhajans to the beat of drums and music.
From Nityananda Nagar the procession winded its way slowly through Bejai Museam to Kadri Kambla to Pinto’s lane and then to Bejai Church to Bejai Circle and from there went on to Bejai new road to Aanegundi road. At the Bejai circle junction the brazen merry makers for about an hour burst fire crackers which lit up the night sky in a bright hue of colours and the din and noise of festivity could be heard for miles around.
The entire stretch was lit up with bright lights and decorated with coloured paper festoons and buntings displaying an air of festivity all around. The tableau-laden procession of trucks with the Ganesha idols halted at regular spots to facilitate devotees to offer ‘puja archene’ (ritualistic offerings), to beget the Lord’s blessings. Most of the devotees offered plates filled with coconuts, ‘modhak’ sweets (a favourite of Ganesha), fruits like bananas, tulsi leaves, kum kum (vermillon) and haldi (turmeric) and a few coins in obeisance to the Lord Ganesha, to invoke his blessings. After due prayers conducted by the Brahmin priest, the plate filled with fruits is returned back to the devotees.
Finally from Annegundi road, the procession of gaiety-makers and devout took the tableau procession to its final destination at Sultan Batthery where the Ganesha idols with other tableaux was immersed in the river, finally at around 4 am, bringing to an end the a festival of grandeur and religious fervor in this part of the city.
Ganesh Chaturthi Special on Daijiworld.com