Times News NetworkKanpur: Preparations for Ganesh Chaturthi gained momentum in the city on Sunday, with small and large pandals decorated at several places and idols of Lord Ganesh being brought for installation. Covered idols reached homes and pandals as devotees eagerly awaited Monday morning, when the covers would be removed and the idols installed during the auspicious period.The 10-day festival, beginning on Monday and concluding with the immersion of idols on September 25, will be celebrated with religious fervour across the city. According to religious rituals, the auspicious time for removing the cover of the idol and performing the Sthapana Puja is 7.06 am on Monday. Devotees can perform the Sthapana till 7.44 am on September 15.Sunday remained hectic for devotees, who thronged markets to select idols according to their choice, size and budget. Artisans had set up stalls at several locations, including GT Road near the medical college crossing, Barra, Parag Dairy, P Road, Phool Bagh, Yashoda Nagar and Ramadevi.After buying the idols, devotees covered them before taking them home with religious devotion. Large idols were transported in loaders and mini-trucks, with some devotees accompanying them to the beats of drums.Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesh, the elephant-headed deity regarded as the god of wisdom and prosperity and the remover of obstacles. Though traditionally associated with Maharashtra, the festival is now celebrated across India.Devotees generally install Ganesh idols for one-and-a-half, three, five or 10 days and perform prayers and rituals during the period. The idols are subsequently taken out in processions and immersed at designated sites amid religious ceremonies and festivities.………………..
