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Amrit Mahotsav favourite theme for Ganesh Utsav in Lucknow this year
Since community worship will take place after two years, puja committees in the city are coming up with various themes for this year’s celebration. Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (75 years of Independence) is a theme that several organizers are going with.
Lucknow Post a two-year hiatus due to Covi-19-induced lockdown, the city is all set to celebrate the 10-day Ganesh Utsav with fervour.
Since community worship will take place after two years, puja committees in the city are coming up with various themes for this year’s celebration. Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (75 years of Independence) is one such favourite that several organizers are going with.
“We have chosen Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav as this year’s theme for our 10-day celebration from August 31 to September 9,” said Bharat Bhushan, patron, Shri Ganesh Prakatya Committee at Jhulelal Vatika, near Hanuman Setu, which is one of the oldest and biggest Ganpati celebration in the city, begun in 2005. More than 15-18,000 people would attend the event every day, he informed.
“The first few days will be dedicated to the country with songs and cultural functions related to the freedom struggle, rather than devotional songs. Blood donation and vaccination camps will also be set up,” he added.
“Flags will be installed all over the pandal at different places with due respect. As this year the festival falls in August which is the Independence month, we thought that the best theme would be Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav,” said Lakshmi Narayan Jaiswal, president, Ganesh Vihar Vikas Samiti, Faizullagunj.
“Swachh Bharat, Local for Vocal will also be some of the highlights of our Pandal,” he said.
“The idol would be 6 feet tall and would be based on Balaji temple. It is being made by a popular and old idol maker Nilay Mitra from Kolkata,” said Rahul Mishra, treasurer of the committee.
Nilay Mitra, one of the finest artists, is also making the highest idol with a height of 15 feet which is to be set up in Gomti Nagar. The idol will be completely eco-friendly, and soil-based with no use of POP (plaster of Paris) and artificial colours, according to him.
“Our Ganpati will have the national flag in his hands instead of weapons this time. The pandal will also have Tricolour,” said organisers at Basteer Ganj ke Raja committee in Alambagh.
Replica of Siddhivinayak to come up at a cost of ₹5 lakh
A Ganesh idol at Shri Ganesh Prakatya Committee, the biggest organisation in the city, is coming at a total cost of approximately ₹5 lakh, informed Satish Agarwal, secretary of the committee which is being run by the Siddhivinayak Charitable trust. The idol is the replica of the most popular Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai. “Ever since the committee was set up, the idol has been the same every year. We don’t change the design and it is constant to date. The first invitation card is sent to Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak baba before anyone else is invited,” he added.
The idol is approximately 5-6 ft in height and is being built by popular sculptor Shravan Prajapati who made many idols during the previous rule of Mayawati. “Not everyone can create an idol that looks exactly like Siddhivinayak. A lot of permission is required for creating similar idols, said Prajapati.
“The idol is soil-based and natural colours have been used to make it, ‘’ said Prajapati. “I don’t make mud idols but I agreed upon to make it completely eco-friendly, , ‘’ added Prajapati whose forefathers were also in the idol-making business. Prajapati’s forefathers made the famous idols at Hanuman Setu and Aliganj temples. Prajapati also sculpted the metal idol in Ambedkar Park, Lucknow.
