Ganesh Chaturthi in the Capital is quite muted as compared to the grand celebrations in other parts of the country. However, communities in certain pockets of the city are getting together to plan events associated with the festival, that acts as a precursor to the long line up of celebrations in October and November.
Inspired by visuals from Hindi films and cheered on by friends from Maharashtra, Delhiites have begun to emulate traditions and join in to celebrate the festival on Thursday.
“The number of people celebrating the festival is growing, with a large influx of people from the southern States moving to Delhi. I am sure with time the celebrations here will compare with the fervour of Durga Puja in C.R. Park,” said Anish Nevatia, who was seen shopping for a Ganesha idol with his son.
“My parents have held a puja in our apartment complex every year since 1995. All people in the apartment attend it. We bring in a Ganesh idol, and distribute modaks after the puja ,” said Shravan Tekade, resident of Mahalaxmi Apartments in Dwarka.
Several other Residents’ Welfare Associations like Anandvan Society in Paschim Vihar and Metro Staff Quarters in Radio Colony also have a history of holding Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations for their residents.
Temples are also gearing up to greet the festival with grandeur. The Sree Vinayak Mandir in Sarojini Nagar and the Sankatahara Ganapathy Temple in Vasudhara Enclave are holding celebrations and inviting people through online invitations and event pages on social media.
“This is a great way to meet people from my home State. I miss speaking in Marathi and eating the traditional delicacies,” said Ankur, who moved to the city a few month back.
He added that he would definitely have felt homesick here if such festivities were not organised.
The city also saw a rising demand for Ganesh idols. “I have received so many orders for the idols in the last week that I am finding it difficult to complete orders. We have stopped our export facilities for a while to meet the demand in the city. Delhi definitely has a lot of enthusiasm for Ganesh puja,” said Narendra Joshi, a trader of handcrafted idols by artisans in Lakshmi Nagar.
Even those who don’t have a custom of holding family celebrations were quite enthusiastic.
“I go to Shahpur Jat for puja celebration every year since there is no function held in my apartment complex. They hold a grand celebration complete with a pandal and an idol,” said Devendra Sahu, a resident of Gulmohar Enclave.
However, not everyone was seen more hopeful than before. “Ever since I moved here from Mumbai to study, I stay indoors without celebrating Ganesh Puja. The celebration in Delhi lacks the grandeur of the Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai. Here it is restricted to a few Maharashtrians bringing idols to their homes for seven to 10 days, followed by a quiet visarjan . It is celebrated with much pomp and splendour in Mumbai. Delhi is yet to catch up with the tradition,” said Aniket Bajpai, a second-year student of Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi.
