Lucknow: A grand Maha Abhishek of Lord Ganesha was performed with Vedic chants on Thursday at Jhulelal Vatika as part of the ongoing Ganesh festival organised by the Shri Ganesh Prakatya Committee.
The ritual abhishek was performed with milk, curd, ghee, honey, sugar, Gangajal and juice prepared from five fruits while devotees chanted the 1,008 names of Lord Ganesha. Office-bearers, members and volunteers of the committee participated with their families, while members of the public were also given an opportunity to perform the ritual. Hundreds of devotees offered prayers and sought the blessings of Ganesha.
The 108-kg Mahamodak offered to the deity emerged as the major attraction in the evening. Committee patron Bharat Bhushan Gupta, president Ghanshyam Agrawal, councillor Ranjit Singh, Jai Karan Singh, Akhilesh Bansal, Sanjay Singh Gandhi, Gopal Agrawal and Sudhanshu Batham, along with several women devotees, offered the Mahamodak to Ganesha.
Singer Sanjay Sharma, who came from Kolkata, added to the devotional atmosphere with a special bhajan dedicated to the 108-kg laddu. This was followed by a Radha-Krishna Maharaas dance-drama and a Shiv Baraat presentation under Sharma’s direction.
The evening concluded with devotional songs by Sanjay Sharma, prompting devotees to sing and dance along.
The 10-day Ganesh festival will conclude on Friday with an immersion procession. According to committee patron Bharat Bhushan Gupta, the procession will begin at 3 pm from Jhulelal Vatika and pass through University Marg, IT Chauraha, Ramakrishna Math, Shankarnagar Chauraha, Nazirganj and Daliganj before reaching Jhulelal Ghat.
The procession will feature tableaux, horse carriages, chariots, horses and bands. A flower-decorated chariot carrying Lord Ganesha in the form of Siddhivinayak will bring up the rear.
Gupta said devotees had written nearly two lakh letters bearing the name of Lord Ganesha during the festival, and the letters would be immersed along with the idol. The 108-kg Mahamodak offered on Thursday will also be distributed among devotees during the procession.
