Jharkhand: Devotees throng Ganesh puja pandals

RANCHI: The city celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi with gusto as puja committees made lavish arrangements to ring in the festival. Taking full advantage of the festivities, which resumed after nearly two years of Covid-induced break, the devotees thronged the pandals to offer puja.
"We are witnessing a rush of worshippers at the pandals this time. Even two years ago, the celebration was not as exuberant. It seems that the pandemic has enhanced people's faith in the almighty," Deepak Ojha, a member of Gajraj Puja Samiti, said.
Santanu Kumar, who is a co-ordinator of Gajraj Puja Maha Samiti, said, "We will organise a maha aarti every day until the idol is immersed."
Over 200 devotees thronged the OTC Field puja pandal, which was a replica of a popular temple in Jaipur. While the Kutchery Road pandal was inspired by the Buddha Mandir in Manipur, the one in Lower Chutia is made up of sacks.
Vikram Sharma, the president of the New Star Yuvak Sangh Sri Ganesh Puja Samiti, said, "We will perform maha aarti every evening. A tableau will also be organised on September 10 where the devotees will dress up like Lord Shiva, Parvati and Ganesha."
In Jamshedpur, the usual buzz associated with the festival was back after two years as puja committees celebrated the festival with pomp and gaiety.
The Shree Bala Ganapati Vilas Samiti (SBGVS), which has been organising the puja for the past 104 years, had invited priests from Andhra Pradesh to perform the rituals. "This year we wanted to organise the festival on a grand scale," SBGVS general secretary T Anjaneyulu said.
As many as 40 pandals have been erected in the city. A 40ft-high pandal in Bagbera, which is a replica of the Kedarnath temple, has become a major crowd-puller, while a 15-ft-high pandal in Telco is attracting a large number of devotees.
The district administration had deployed 55 magistrates and adequate police force at some of the major pandals to ensure that no untoward incident takes place. Besides, patrolling in the city was also increased.
Meanwhile, the idol makers were a happy lot as they earned a good revenue after two years of poor business. "Business is comparatively better than the past two years. The clay idols are in huge demand," idol-maker Badal Khumbhakar said.