Cashew Nuts, Anjeer, Paddy, Sacred Powders Give Unique Look to Ganesh Pandals

Kakinada:Cashew nuts, anjeer fruits, paddy, turmeric, vermillion and sacred Vibhuthi are set to give a unique look to Vinayaka idols this year, as pandal organisers across the district have come up with innovative ideas for Vinayaka Chavithi celebrations on September 14.

With the festival approaching, thousands of street-side pandals are coming up in villages and towns in Kakinada, Konaseema, Eluru, Polavaram, East Godavari and West Godavari districts, with organisers creating distinctive idols.

At a street-side pandal on Temple Street in Kakinada, organisers are erecting an 18-foot Vinayaka idol using nearly 200 kg of sacred powders such as turmeric, vermillion, Vibhuthi and Kubera Kumkum. The organisers have been celebrating the festival for the past 18 years.

At Pedamarket in Kakinada, organisers are installing a Ganesh idol with anjeer fruits, while devotees at Jagannadhapuram will get to see a Vinayaka idol crafted using cashew nuts. In Gandhinagar, an 18-foot idol made of paddy is being installed for the celebrations.

Preparations for the Vinayaka Chavithi Navaratri are also under way in Vinukondavari Veedhi, where Sri Sitarama Sametha Sai Ganapathi Bhakta Samajam has been celebrating the festival since 1942. A series of devotional, spiritual and cultural programmes will be conducted over nine days. A ‘Kolatam’ performance by women will be a special highlight this year. For the past 14 years, devotee Dindi Naga Ramesh has been providing the Ganapathi idol for the celebrations.

Meanwhile, temple officials and pandal organisers are making arrangements for the celebrations. District officials inspected the Siddhi Vinayaka temple at Ainavilli, one of the prominent temples in Dr B.R. Ambedkar district, and issued directions to ensure that devotees do not face any inconvenience.