Goa gears up to welcome Lord Ganesh

The festivities mark family unions in many places as this is the time of the year when city-dwellers return to the countryside for the festival.

Alike the Konkan Railway which is running special services from Mumbai owing to the heavy rush, inter-state buses too are chock-a-block as everyone is rushing home to celebrate the festival with their families.

Traditional essentials which are required for the worship of Lord Ganesh are being sold at high rates as prices of many of them have overshot due to rising demand.

In the backdrop of past cases of robberies that peak up during the festival, Goa Police is not taking any chances. The police have formed a special investigation team to preempt any break-ins.

Besides, advisories have been issued for the citizens to inform the nearest police stations if they are leaving for their native place.

However, rains are playing a spoilsport for the festivities. Incessant rains have lashed Konkan region for the last three days with the meteorological prediction hinting at more to come in the next two days.

The weather bulletin released by the state government has indicated "heavy to very heavy" rainfall at isolated places in Goa during the next 24 hours, besides prevalence of cyclone-like conditions on the coast.

Meanwhile, the district administration has advised revellers in the port town of Vasco not to burst fire crackers as the naphtha content emanated from the recent pipeline rupture is still suspended in the air.