Expats
Ganesh Immersions Offer Visual Treat to Foreigners in Mumbai
Foreigners witnessed the Ganeshotsav immersions at Mumbai beach until the early hours of Wednesday morning.
More than 300 foreigners from various part of the world witnessed the colorful Ganeshotsav immersions at Girgaum Chowpatty beach in Mumbai on Wednesday morning. The 11-day festival, which came to an end on Sept. 05, completed 125 years of its observance in the city.
Maha Ganesh Festival
The Maha Ganesh Festival was organised by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation and the Department of Tourism to promote the state’s biggest festival among foreigners. More than 100 foreigners were guided to a specially erected pavilion to witness the immersions of thousands of gigantic, large, medium and small idols of the Hindu god.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Tourism Minister Jaykumar Rawal, Minister of State for Tourism Madan Yerawar, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) MD Vijay Waghmare, MTDC Joint MD Aashutosh Rathod, diplomats and Consuls General of various countries and other senior officials were also present in the special pavilion.
Thailand Devotees’ Special Worship
The major highlight of the Maha Ganesh Festival was the worship of an idol of Lord Ganesha by a team of 55 tourists from Thailand at their room in Hotel Trident for the entire 11-day fest this year, said an MTDC spokesperson. Chanting ‘Ganapati Bappa Morya Pudchya Varshi Lavkar Ya’, the Thai devotees performed rituals and the immersion ceremony of their small Ganesh idol at the Girgaum Chowpatty beach. Offering prayers to the tune of drums and cymbals, the Thai devotees captured the hearts of the spectators at the venue.
“It is a privilege to organize the immersion ceremony and offer a separate dais to foreigners to witness the best of Maharashtra’s rich culture and traditions,” Tourism Minister Jaykumar Rawal said.
More than 2,00,000 associations and groups celebrate Ganeshotsav in Mumbai, while there are around 50,000 other organizations worldwide that conduct celebrations in the United States, North Africa, Europe, South East Asia and Australia.
(With inputs from IANS)
