Nagpur: With the most awaited festival – 10-Day Ganesh festivity — around the corner, hundreds and hundreds ardent devotees are making the last minute preparations to accord welcome to their favourite elephant headed god with traditional fervour. Come August 25, the Ganesh Chaturthi day, every house, pandal will reverberate with high-pitched Ganpati Bappa Morya chant signalling commencement of the joyous festival of the most revered deity. The narrow lane called Chitar Oli where artisans are busy giving finishing touches to the Ganesh idols, small and big ones, would be thronged by devotees to have an idol of their hearty choice and bring the deity to their homes to celebrate the 10-day festival. A visit to Chitar Oli, one would find a number of Lord Ganesh idols set out to dry even as a couple of artisans put finishing touches to another idol that’s almost ready to go. For countless years, devotees have been wending their way down this narrow lane. And this year it would not be different. The only difference would be the size, shape and colour of the idols. The artisans are in the trade for decades. They are taking the ancestral art ahead year after year. The preparations for shaping the idols begin months in advance. The price and size do not matter when it comes to welcoming the elephant-headed deity to one’s home.Over the years, there has been a steady rise in the number of non-Maharashtrians hosting the Lord of Wisdom in their homes. Due to age-old tradition, some devotees are worshiping the idol only for one-and-a-half day, three days or seven days. But for most of the people, it is a 10-day joy. Every year, Ganesh Chaturthi falls on the fourth day of the bright fortnight of Bhadrapada (August-September), called Shukla Chaturthi. The festival comes to an end on Anant Chaturdashi. One can feel the enthusiasm in the air. Road-side vendors have started erecting makeshift stalls and idols of different shapes are being arranged for devotees to choose one. The makeshift stalls would dot across the city. The markets are also hustling and bustling for celebration of the most amazing and enjoyable festival. General stores and street vendors have started displaying colourful material to be used by devotees to decorate aesthetically their houses and pandals where the Vighnaharta would make His abode for the 1o days. A series of dazzling lightings can been seen being dangled in shops dealing with electric goods. The festival will see musical extravaganza at its peak. Colourful and musical processions, dancing would be the traditional feature in the coming days.All said and done but no one can dare not to mention the mouth-watering delicacies the devotees would cherish during the 10-day festivity. Modak, the most favourite delicacy of the Lord Himself, would be the household dish during the festival. Apart from Modak, dishes like Puran Poli, Shrikhand, Laddoos are among the dishes that are synonymous with the most happening event.

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