E-Paper
Tradition meets Splendour: Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations set to amaze Lucknow
With sweets meticulously crafted and magnificent pandals ready to welcome visitors, the resplendent festivities are set to commence.
LUCKNOW The city of Lucknow is buzzing with excitement as the final touches are put in place for the eagerly awaited Ganesh Chaturthi celebration. With sweets meticulously crafted and magnificent pandals ready to welcome visitors, the resplendent festivities are set to commence.
South Indian temple-inspired pandal & Siddhi Vinayak idol
The Jhulelal Park is once again hosting a grand celebration this year, with a towering 74-foot pandal designed to replicate a South Indian temple. This magnificent creation was brought to life by 20-30 artisans from Kolkata, dedicating over a month to its completion. The event, which started in 2005, has grown to attract more than 15,000 to 18,000 visitors daily.
To ensure the safety of the vast gathering, the organisers have secured insurance worth ₹10 crores, with an additional ₹25 lakh each for the idol and pandal. The pandal will be air-conditioned, and bhog will be distributed from 9 am to 10 pm throughout the ten-day festival. The idol itself is an exquisite replica of Mumbai’s famed Siddhi Vinayak temple.
Time-honoured tradition & special performances
The committee behind this celebration has upheld tradition by maintaining the same idol design year after year. The first invitation card is always sent to Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak Baba, marking a deep-seated tradition. The idol, sculpted by the renowned artist Shravan Prajapati, stands at approximately 5-6 feet in height.
In addition to the vibrant atmosphere filled with fairs and food stalls, Natak Bhajan Sandhya performances by Sanjay Sharma from Kolkata will grace the evenings.
Traditional Odia Samaj greeting
The Odia Samaj will welcome Lord Ganesha in a traditional manner on Tuesday near Prag Narayan Road. A 5-foot idol will be unveiled in the morning and immersed in the evening following the puja.
Maha Modak Marvel: Sweet delight weighs in at 108 kg
Gokul Maharaj, a renowned confectioner from Kanpur, has brought a team of 40-45 skilled workers to Lucknow for an extraordinary task. They will craft modaks day and night to offer to devotees visiting the Jhulelal Park pandal. Gokul, carrying on his father’s legacy from five decades ago, will produce around 5,000-6,000 modaks daily, with the possibility of increasing this number based on the crowd’s demand.
The showstopper is the ‘Maha-Modak,’ weighing a whopping 108 kgs. This colossal sweet creation will take 3-4 days to complete, using 1500 litres of milk, Besan, and Ghee. Gokul has generously offered his services for the ten-day festival without charge, leaving the expenses for modak and bhog to the organisers.
Online shopping gains ground, local shops struggle
Small roadside shops selling Ganesha idols and decorations have faced declining sales in recent years, primarily due to the surge in online shopping. Sonia Sonkar, a 52-year-old vendor at Aminabad market, shared her experience of diminished sales during Ganesh Chaturthi, a trend she believes is attributed to the growing popularity of online commerce.
Similarly, Samir Agnihotri, a shop owner for 23 years, lamented the plummeting business, asserting that post-Covid, people have leaned towards online shopping. Despite facing losses, the few remaining shops exclusively selling Ganesh Chaturthi items in Aminabad hold onto hope for better sales closer to the festival date.
Sunaina, who typically runs a cosmetics shop in Aminabad, has also ventured into selling Ganesha idols. She anticipates a surge in sales on September 18 and 19 as the celebration kicks off.
Traffic Alert: Navigating Lucknow’s Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations
The Lucknow Police unit has announced traffic diversions for the 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival, starting from Tuesday until September 28. Routes to and from Qaiserbagh and Faizabad have been altered, with alternate paths specified to ensure the smooth flow of traffic.
In case of emergencies, restricted routes may be made available for essential services such as ambulances, hearses, fire services, school buses, and other critical requirements.
