Lord Ganesha arrives in Pune amidst religious fervour

Pune, Aug 27 (UNI) The most revered God of the Hindu Pantheon, Lord Ganesha was today installed at various 'sarvajanik mandals' and homes amid chants of ''Ganapati Bappa Morya'' in an atmosphere of gaiety and religious fervor in the cultural capital of Maharashtra here.

The ten-day festival was ushered in with a colorful procession accompanied by traditional dhols, tasha, lezim and dancing since early morning. One of the five most prestigious Ganapatis -(Manache Ganapati),the Kasba Peth Ganapati idol was installed by noted Art of Living guru Shri Shri Ravi Shankar.

The biggest congregation of devotees was seen at the Srimant Dagdu Seth Halwai Ganapati temple in the busy city post area off Laxmi Road. There was a brisk sale of Ganapati idols and the offerings of puja throughout the day today.

The demand of idols has gone up considerably despite the recent floods, according to leading idol maker of the city Bhalchander Deshmukh. Mr Deshmukh, who sells his idols under the banner of Natraj Arts, told UNI that he has also received bulk orders from USA apart from every corner of the country. So far, 4,000 idols have already been sold by him, he added.

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