Religious festival unites, strengthens family
It was a joyous moment for Hindu devotees throughout the country on Sunday. Particularly, for one person who had travelled from Nadi to Lautoka for the past 10 days just to be a part of the Ganesh Utsav. Pratima Singh, 59, of Sabeto Nadi said that travelling was never a concern for her because of the love she had for the festival was unconditional.
“Our entire family is here I cannot express how much joy I feel,” Ms Singh said.
“Religion is an important source of strength and inspiration in my life and being provided with the opportunity to worship Lord Ganesh is indeed a blessing for me.
“It is so nice to see everyone smiling,” she added. The event has allowed her family relationship to be strengthened. “All my family members including my grandchildren are here and this way we are able to reconnect with each other,” she said. Meanwhile, Hindus around the country marked the end of Ganesh Utsav, the Hindu festival of the birth of Ganesh, the son of Shiva and Parvati. Devotees of Lord Ganesh lined up for prayers and offerings at the Ganga Maata Mandir in Wairabetia Lautoka yesterday.
The Ganesha idols and accompanying statues were installed in temporary shelters, known as mandaps or pandals.
The festival featured cultural activities such as singing, theatre and orchestral performances. At the end of the worship week an idol of Ganesh would be accompanied by all the devotees and submerged in the ocean. Shree Ganesh, as Lord Ganesh is fondly referred to and is known as the divine leader of the people, is the deity of unity and auspiciousness.
Devotees know him as the source of all strength and success and is considered by Hindus as the symbol of good fortune, the remover of all obstacles from their lives and is one of the best-known and most widely worshipped deities in the Hindu pantheon.
It is believed that Lord Ganesh bestows his presence on earth for all his devotees during this festival.
It is the time when he was born. He is widely worshipped as the God of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune and traditionally invoked at the beginning of any new venture or at the start of travel.