The Vinayaka Chaturthi Festival was celebrated with gaiety at Sri Karunya Maha Ganapathi Temple in Mayur Vihar Phase II recently. The six-day festival included ceremonies of homam (fire ritual), japam (chanting), alankarams (adorning the deity/premises), abhishekam (pouring oblations) and archanas. The motive behind a puja or other ritual is known as the sankalpam , and in this case, it was declared that the core sankalpam for these ceremonies was universal peace and brotherhood.
On amavasya , the new moon day considered most auspicious, the celebrations commenced with Maha Ganapathi moola mantra homam performed with 1008 modakam (sweets believed dear to Lord Ganesh). On the day of Vinayaka Chathurthi, naalikera homam was performed with 108 coconuts being offered, and the day ended with the procession of the utsava murt y of Karunya Ganapathi on the streets of Mayur Vihar Phase II. The utsava murty in any temple is the idol that is ceremoniously taken out of the sanctum on special occasions to be seen by all those who for various reasons could not make it to the temple.
As part of the celebrations, food was distributed to the needy (annadanam) on Sunday and Monday, when thousands partook of the prasad (sanctified food) of Shri Ganapathi.
A Carnatic music programme was held on Saturday when Modumudi Sudhakar of All India Radio, Vijayawada, performed a vocal recital accompanied by P. Nandakumar and Jaya Bhaskar on the violin and the mridangam respectively. The celebrations came to an end with Anjaneya Utsavam on Tuesday.
Thousands of devotees thronged the temple during the celebrations.
