Devotees offer 'virtual' prayers to Ganesha

But she did, without stepping out of her home. Thanks to e-technology.
Vipula's mother Shubha Nagvenkar had both her daughters-- married in Pune and America-- participating in the 'Aarti'.

While the main 'Aarti' was performed at their ancestral home in Anjuna, the families of both her daughter joined her through webcam adding to the prayer chorus.

"I could not imagine that such thing was possible atleast in my life. I could not believe that my daughters from America and Pune joined me for Aarti," Shubha, 75-year-old mother of five, told PTI from her home at Anjuna.

"We had heard on radio during my younger days that Americans had a phone with which you can see the face of a person who speaks to you on the other line. Years down the line, its happening to us in Goa. Its really nice," she said.

Vipula, who is a housewife said she wanted to visit her maternal home for Ganesh Chaturthi this year.

"I could not make it physically due to other pre- occupations but I am happy that I was the part of celebration and could see it through webcam," she said.

On the other hand, Offering prayers to Ganesha at her maternal home would have meant traversing 'seven seas' for Shubha's eldest daughter, Madhavi Lotlikar.

But it was the webcam technology again to her rescue, when she joined her family back in Goa 'virtually' for aarti from her home in New York.

"Everything is getting digitalized. This is devotion digitalized," commented Madhavi.
The ten-day-long Ganesh Chaturthi festival began in Goa on September 11. The festival is state's biggest celebration with the elephant-headed God being worshipped in all Hindu households.