The Ganesh Chaturthi festival has officially commenced in Birgunj, with devotees performing special worship and rituals in honor of Lord Ganesh. The festival, which begins on the fourth day of the waxing moon in the Nepali month of Bhadra, will continue until Bhadra Shukla Ashtami (the eighth day).
According to Rakesh Kumar Sah, Vice President of the Jai Ganesh Jhankar Mandal family, the celebration will involve daily worship from Saturday to Wednesday. “Today, we are starting the festival by offering special prayers and celebrating the birth anniversary of Lord Ganesh,” said Sah. “We are offering 151 kilograms of laddus, Lord Ganesh’s favorite sweet, as prasad. Thousands of devotees are expected to attend the event.”
The celebrations are being held at the premises of the Ram Janaki Temple, located near the Ghadiarwa Pond in Birgunj Metropolitan City-10. A grand statue of Lord Ganesh has been installed for the worship rituals. The Mandal has been organizing the Ganesh Chaturthi festival for the past 28 years.
During the festival, various activities such as bhajan-kirtan (devotional singing), the lighting of the Akhand Jyoti (eternal flame), distribution of Chhappan Bhog (56 varieties of food), and laddu prasada will take place. “We are celebrating this festival with prayers for peace, prosperity, and good health for the people of the country,” added Sah.
Madan Prasad Kanu, a founding member of the Mandal, mentioned that the festival is dedicated to the protection and well-being of all humanity. “The Ganesh Chaturthi festival begins today and traditionally concludes with the immersion of the deity on the fifth day,” he said.
