Ganesh Chaturthi marks the birth of Lord Ganesha, who is considered a symbol of wisdom and good fortune. The 10-day long festival began on Saturday, with people bringing or making clay idols of the deity. It ends on the 10th day when idols are immersed in water.
Several celebrities and politicians took to social media to extend their wishes.
“Greetings on the auspicious festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. May the blessings of Bhagwan Shri Ganesh always be upon us. May there be joy and prosperity all over,” tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Actor Akshay Kumar urged his fans to maintain “social distancing, avoid inviting people home and visiting people’s homes”.
“Ganpati Bappa Morya,” wrote Amitabh Bachchan while sharing a throwback picture of previous year’s celebrations.
Sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik shared a picture of his art. “May Lord Ganesha give us more power to fight against COVID-19,” the artist wrote.
Actor Neil Nitin Mukesh brought Lord Ganesha home and shared pictures of the same on social media.
Cricketers VVS Laxman and Shikhar Dhawan too extended their greetings on the occasion.
BJP MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore shared on social media, a video of the preparations for the festival.
“Preparations on at home- My mother making an idol of Lord Ganesha for puja,” he tweeted.
Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot too extended the greetings on the occasion.
Every year the festival is celebrated in a grand way, but this year, celebrations are low key due to the coronavirus pandemic that has infected over 2.9 million people in India.
