There’s a lot of fun and energy that surrounds Lord Ganesha and that's precisely why Ganesha Chaturthi is a colourful affair in most households. Most people buy attractive-looking Ganesha idols and make traditional dishes on that day.

Some of the celebrities in the City say they share fond memories of the festival. They say that the festival takes them back to their childhood when Ganesha not only meant a holiday but endless feasting also.

Shivarajkumar

“We usually don’t celebrate Ganesha festival but this year we’re getting together as a family. The  celebrations are meant for the children who are more than enthusiastic to go idol shopping and bring home a Ganesha. Ganesha Habba was a real feast when we were children.”   

Radhika Pandit

 “I forget my diet and eat as much as Ganesha does on Ganesha Chaturthi. We don’t keep an idol, instead we place two coconuts and we make a special sweet called patholi which has generous filling of coconut and jaggery. Every street comes alive with a Ganesha idol and music rents the air.”

Ramesh Aravind

“Ganesha seems to be everybody’s favourite god. There’s a certain endearment about the concept. As a child, I used to get together with my friends and build a small mantap at home, using wooden stools. We would also buy a small Ganesha idol and place it in the mantap. Today, with all the cleanliness drive to ensure a pollution-free festival, children have become very conscious and now they are showing us the way.”

Ragini dwivedi

“I am not a spiritual person but I share a close bond with Ganesha. He’s a cool god. More than the spiritual aspect, it is the element of happiness and fun attached to him, that makes him endearing.”