<p>Pune: Nearly 35,000 women chanted 'Atharvashirsha', a Sanskrit text dedicated to Lord Ganesh, at the famous Shrimant Dagdusheth Ganapati pandal in Maharashtra's Pune city on Sunday morning during the ongoing 10-day Ganesh festival.</p>.<p>Dressed in traditional attire, the women gathered at the pandal early morning and recited the hymn, the event organisers said.</p>.<p>Lord Ganesh is worshipped as the deity of knowledge, wisdom and good fortune.</p>.Stone-pelting at Ganesh procession in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam; security stepped up.<p>Every year, thousands of women chant the Sanskrit text on the second day of the Ganesh festival.</p>.<p>The Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganapati Trust, a charitable organisation based in Pune, said this is the 39th year of the annual recital of 'Atharvashirsha' at their Ganesh festival celebrations.</p>.<p>People in Pune welcomed Ganpati Bappa with a 'pratishthapana puja' across households and mandals on Saturday.</p>.<p>The elephant-headed god was also welcomed with devotion and traditional fervour at the city's famous five Manache Ganpati mandals -Kasba Ganpati mandal, Sri Tambadi Jogeshwari Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav mandal, Guruji Talim mandal, Tulshibaug Ganpati mandal and Kesariwada Ganeshotsav mandal.</p>.<p>The public celebration of the festival in the state dates back to 1890s when freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak and others decided to use it to mobilise the masses.</p>
<p>Pune: Nearly 35,000 women chanted 'Atharvashirsha', a Sanskrit text dedicated to Lord Ganesh, at the famous Shrimant Dagdusheth Ganapati pandal in Maharashtra's Pune city on Sunday morning during the ongoing 10-day Ganesh festival.</p>.<p>Dressed in traditional attire, the women gathered at the pandal early morning and recited the hymn, the event organisers said.</p>.<p>Lord Ganesh is worshipped as the deity of knowledge, wisdom and good fortune.</p>.Stone-pelting at Ganesh procession in Madhya Pradesh's Ratlam; security stepped up.<p>Every year, thousands of women chant the Sanskrit text on the second day of the Ganesh festival.</p>.<p>The Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganapati Trust, a charitable organisation based in Pune, said this is the 39th year of the annual recital of 'Atharvashirsha' at their Ganesh festival celebrations.</p>.<p>People in Pune welcomed Ganpati Bappa with a 'pratishthapana puja' across households and mandals on Saturday.</p>.<p>The elephant-headed god was also welcomed with devotion and traditional fervour at the city's famous five Manache Ganpati mandals -Kasba Ganpati mandal, Sri Tambadi Jogeshwari Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav mandal, Guruji Talim mandal, Tulshibaug Ganpati mandal and Kesariwada Ganeshotsav mandal.</p>.<p>The public celebration of the festival in the state dates back to 1890s when freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak and others decided to use it to mobilise the masses.</p>