All set for Ganeshotsava celebrations

With just a day to go for Ganeshotsava celebrations, people have flocked to the markets to purchase flowers, fruits and other puja materials required for the celebrations.

With the festive season attracting sellers from neighbouring districts in big numbers, the city’s markets have witnessed abundant quantities of flowers and
sugarcane.

Vendors from Hassan arrived with chrysanthemum, rose, jasmine, kanagile and Kakada flowers, with a bunch of chrysanthemum being sold for Rs 30. A vendor from Hassan said the flower production is less this year owing to deficit rainfall.

Farmers from various parts of the district, especially Pavoor and Balkunje, have supplied sugarcane to the market. Further, it has also been procured from other districts such as Mandya and Shivamogga.

There are nearly 94 Sarvajanika Ganeshotsava in Mangaluru commissionerate limits. The idols are installed at Nehru Maidan, Pumpwell, Bunts Hostel, Karangalpadi, Maroli, Kulashekar, Police Lane, Kodialbail, Bejai, Jeppinamogaru, Thokkottu, Kuthar are some of the places where the festival is celebrated grandly.

With the government banning idols made of Plaster of Paris, there is demand for clay idols. The idol makers in the city make preparations well in advance. Further, the district administration has declared a general holiday for the festival on Tuesday instead of Monday.

Udupi SP Dr Arun K said permissions are given for Ganesha installations in 463 locations and added that 457 of these installations will be completed from September 18 to 23. 

The police have stepped up the security, with nearly 900 police deployed across the district, in addition to three KSRP and eight DAR platoons. No permission to use sound systems beyond 10 pm is given as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court, the SP said.