Ganesh Chaturthi 2020: Stars gear up to welcome Ganpati Bappa

Celebrities across India are ready to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, which begins on Saturday.

By: Entertainment Desk | New Delhi | Updated: August 21, 2020 5:22:12 pm
Neil Nitin MukeshNeil Nitin Mukesh's Ganesh Chaturthi celebration will be a private affair.

Film and television celebrities are in a festive mode as Ganesh Chaturthi is all set to begin on Saturday. The birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha is celebrated with gusto across India, majorly in the western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Lord Ganesha is referred to as the giver of wisdom and the remover of all obstacles. Devotees believe worshiping Lord Ganesha at the start of any new endeavour will yield positive results, prosperity and good fortune. Like every devotee, stars of tinseltown too mark the 11-day festival by welcoming the idol of Lord Ganesha to their homes. The festival ends with immersion of the idols in water bodies.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, even Ganesh Chaturthi is expected to be affected this year. Though Ganesha pandals have been put up at several places, the overall celebrations will remain low-profile.

With a star-studded line-up of Ajay-Atul, Shankar Mahadevan, Viraj Joshi, Rakesh Chaurasia, Mrunal Kulkarni among others, one of the oldest mandals, Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Mandal, is bringing the festivities home.

“From August 22 to the last day, we will be uploading a pre-recorded clip of our cultural activities. The virus has created an atmosphere of despair but with the arrival of Bappa we will have only positive energy. We will have performances by Pt Bhimsen Joshi’s grandson Viraj Joshi, Shankar Mahadevan, and the renowned duo Ajay-Atul. Mayor Murlidhar Mohol and Joint Commissioner of Police Ravindra Shiswe too will be a part. Even with decorations, we have opted for an eco-friendly bamboo structure for the small pandal,” said Punit Balan, president of the mandal.

Live Blog

Here's how stars are celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi 2020.

17:22 (IST)21 Aug 2020
'Let this festival of Gowri Ganesh Chaturti bring abundance of happiness'

"This year our celebrations may not be as grand as it used to be every year nevertheless our spirits are not hampered.. let this festival of Gowri Ganesh Chaturti bring abundance of happiness, good health and joy!! Have a fun filled festival and make sure u enjoy all the modakas," actor Yash shared on Twitter. 

16:41 (IST)21 Aug 2020
Amit Trivedi releases Ganpati

Sharing the song's video, Amit Trivedi wrote, "'Ganpati' is OUT NOW. Let us welcome Lord Ganesha into our homes and hearts! #ATAzaad #SongsofFaith #Ganpati #Ganesha #LordGanesha #Gabpati2020 #AmitTrivedi #Originals #IndependentMusic #Music #AmitTrivediMusic"

Talking about his Ganesh Chaturthi celebration, Bollywood actor Neil Nitin Mukesh said in a statement, "This year’s theme is dedicated to “new beginnings” and for the very first time, we have got an eco-friendly bappa home. With COVID-19, I feel each one of us has realized there is so much harm that the human race has caused Mother Earth over the last decade, that the only practical way forward is that we need to embrace more eco-friendly measures to protect the Universe, else we are all heading towards doomsday."

He added, “The bappa idol is all of 18 inches as opposed to our longstanding yearly tradition of bringing home a 5 feet idol. All of the decorations on him including the clothes and ornaments have been created by my mother over the past two months. This year’s decoration has been completely done by me and baby Nurvi. We avoided getting anything from outside and decorated his room like a country yard with minimal decorations comprising of white jasminum sambac and yellow marigolds. Like every year, all 10 days will be dedicated to different festivals of India like Holi, Diwali, Rakshabandhan, Janamashtami, followed by chappan bhog, the homam and culminating with the visarjan."

© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd