Aurangabad: Households and public mandals were seen undertaking massive preparations on Wednesday to give a rousing welcome to Ganapati Bappa.Devotees of all ages thronged the markets to purchase items required for rituals and decoration material on the eve of the festival. Many devotees selected the idol of their choice and took it to home amid chants of ‘Ganapati Bappa Morya.’Rupali Dharashivkar, a resident from Mayur Nagar, said, “We leave no stone unturned to welcome Lord Ganesh. Ganesh occupies a special place in our hearts hence, we eagerly wait for the 11-day festival to invoke the blessings of Ganpati Bappa.”Zilla Parishad ground, TV Centre, Shivaji Nagar, Avishkar colony and Connaught Place are some of the locations where stalls selling Ganesh idols have come up.Subodh Ahire, a stall owner from TV centre, said he has arranged for idols made of shadu this year. “Since a lot of devotees are opting to celebrate Ganesh festival in an eco-friendly maner, they ask for shaadu idols which is a safer option than the idols made from plaster of paris. Although they are a bit costly, still shaadu idols are in high demand,” said Ahire.Many decoration items, which are usually made of plastic and thermocol, were missing from the markets keeping in line with the ban imposed by the state government on the use of certain plastic items. The state government issued a notification on march 23 banning a range of plastic items and decoration material in Maharashtra.Meanwhile, green activists have been pressing their demand for arranging artificial tanks for immersion of idols given that some devotees celebrate the Ganesh festival for shorter durations.

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