It’s birthday- Vinayka’s birthday

The Ganesh festival is being celebrated across India from Friday onwards with people performing poojas in the morning to the idol of the elephant-headed god moulded in wet clay. Ganesha Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chavithi is celebrated by Hindus around the world as the birthday of Lord Ganesha.

Considered as God of wisdom and power, Lord Ganesha is Lord Shiva’s eldest son and he is the elder brother of Kartikeya and Skanda. He is considered to be the energy component of Lord Shiva and hence he is referred to as the son of Umadevi and Shankar. Mothers hope to get Ganesha’s sterling virtues by praying Lord Ganesha.

On the day of the festival, the belief is such that one should not see the moon. If anyone violates it, they will face false allegations in the coming year.

People in India uses 21 types of herbal leaves and flowers during Ganesh Festival to worship Lord Ganesh.

Immersion of Ganesh idols is performed on 3rd, 5th and 7th days. For 10 days, from Bhadrapad Shudh Chaturthi to the Ananta Chaturdashi, Ganesha is worshipped. The 11th day is the last day for immersion of the idols. The day is called as Anant Chaturdashi.

On the last day, the idol is taken through the streets in a procession accompanied with dancing, singing, and shouting like "Ganapathi Bappa Morya, Purchya Varshi Laukariya" (O father Ganesha, come again early next year), and it will be immersed in water symbolizing a ritual see-off of the Lord in his journey towards his abode in Kailash while taking away with him the misfortunes of all man.

Lokmanya Tilak was the one who popularised the festival during the freedom movement and made it a community celebration. Colourfully decorated Idols of lord Ganesha are installed both at homes and Pandals. The occasion becomes very lively and enthusiastic with the devotional songs, dances and drum beats being a part of the rituals observed by the devotees of Lord Ganesha, as part of the festivities. Pandals across Mumbai are known to thematically represent the current social issues that the city faces through tableaux, paintings and decorations.

The Lalbaug Raja in central Mumbai is the biggest draw. Although the idol in the cramped fish market remains the same each year, crores of devotees flock to this much-hyped pandal to seek boons from the wish-fulfilling deity. Over the years, offerings in gold and silver have increased in direct proportion to high-profile celebrity visits and constant media coverage. This year celebrities including Amitabh Bachchan, Bipasha Basu, Sonu Nigam, Shilpa Shetty, Isha Koppikar and Shankar Mahadevan visited Lalbaugcha Raja to offer their prayers to lord Ganesha.

Crowning festivities in south Mumbai is the Fort Vibhaag Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal. It is marvellous to see how the busy spot transforms into a beautiful palace or temple each year. This season, the mandal has recreated the Kedarnath Jyotirling at the entrance with the rest of the 11 jyotirlings inside.

For the first time in the history of the Ganesh festival, teenage priests are performing religious rituals in various parts across Mumbai following a shortage of 'purohits' or Hindu priests in the city. Another significant first in this year's festival is that all the mandals have pledged not to put up banners and hoardings advertising tobacco and gutka. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has also distributed banners, hoardings and pamphlets to mandals across the city to create awareness about various social issues including female foeticide. Besides, doctors from the Mumbai District Aids Control society have roped in students from over 100 colleges to execute the HIV awareness programme at the mandals.

Bollywood has also been gripped with the festivities of Ganesh Chaturthi. Celebrities who installed the idol of the elephant god at their homes include Salman Khan, Jeetendra, Nana Patekar, Rani Mukherjee, Suniel Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Akshay Kumar, Govinda, Shilpa Shetty, Raveena Tandon and Shreyas Talpade among others. The Ganesh idol at R K Studios in suburban Chembur is the oldest with many queuing up for offering prayers during the 10-day festivities.

Meanwhile, a wave of green is increasingly making its presence felt this Ganeshotsav. Going eco-friendly in one's home is one thing, but an entire housing society doing so is quite unique. All residents of a housing society in suburban Khar have switched to eco-friendly Ganpati idols in their homes this year. Even the society's Ganpati is an eco-friendly one. Several sarvajanik mandals have also installed eco-friendly idols made from tissue paper.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) have been appealing Mumbaikars to use eco-friendly Ganesh idols and artificial ponds for immersion to curb pollution. The pollution control board has also directed the mandals to remove flowers, clothes and decorating material before immersion. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has also increased the number of artificial ponds from 19 to 22 this year.

The entire city of Mumbai celebrates ganpati festival irrespective of caste creed and religion. This celebration brings out the splendour of street life, the spirit of sharing and giving and the strength of the city's artistic traditions.