Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samiti Promotes Swadeshi Celebrations With Parents’ Feet-Washing Ritual

Hyderabad: The Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samiti on Monday organised the ritual of washing parents’ feet, an age-old tradition in Indian families. The programme was held in Kushaiguda and attended by samiti general secretary, Dr Ravinuthala Shashidhar. The samiti said it has been visiting Ganesh pandals along with holy men to guide organisers on celebrating the festival in a traditional ‘swadeshi’ way. The samiti told Deccan Chronicle that they are planning an exhibition of Ganesh Immersion pictures from previous years.

Several pandals this year are adopting traditional themes and precautionary measures. Maraboina Chinna Yadav, secretary of the Maa Vaishnodevi Friends Association, said, “Arti is going to be a big event as large crowds will gather. In this mandap, there will only be bhajans and we have initiated the use of traditional items and a swadeshi theme.”

Across the twin cities, Ganesh festivities are in full swing, with families visiting pandals in large numbers. At Khairatabad, devotees throng the Bada Ganesh, with thousands queuing up, including visitors from other districts and states.