Valley to invoke Ganesha for peace

Mumbai, Aug 26 (UNI) As Mumbai and other parts of the country are gearing up to celebrate the mega Ganapati festival, the Valley does not seem to lag behind in the grand preparations.

Devotees from Jammu and Kashmir are making a beeline before Ganesha idol makers in Mumbai and adjoining areas to book their orders so that their Ganapati Bappa reaches the puja mandals before the festivities kickstart.

The Maharashtra Murtikar Mahasangh President Ramesh Rawale told UNI that for the past few years he has started getting orders not only from different parts of the country but also from abroad.

''Take the example of Subedar Major (Retd) Pandit Barbar, who travelled down all the way from Jammu to Mumbai's Lal Baug locality, which is known for Ganesha idol crafts, to book a five feet tall Ganesha idol,'' Mr Rawle said.

Within 100-years' of its celebration the festival, which was started by Lokmanya Tilak in Maharashtra under the British regime as an effort to unite the then scattered Hindu community across the country and educate them about the perils of colonial rule, has now gained international repute.

The festival today, which also symbolises the ushering of prosperity and gain, is celebrated not only in Maharashtra or other parts of India but also in countries like US, UK and Japan with equal zeal and fervour.

Just how popular the festival has become in various parts of the world can be understood from the fact that a good number of Ganesha idols have already been exported for the festival.

''This year, I have already cargoed two idols of Lord Ganesha to United States, two to Fiji and one each to Uganda and Switzerland,'' Mr Rawale added.

The demand for the Ganesha idols has increased by almost ten per cent as compared to last year.

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