Fervour, gaiety mark Ganesha, Eid festivities in Karnataka

BANGALORE - Hindus and Muslims across Karnataka Saturday celebrated their Ganesh Chaturthi and Eid with fervour and gaiety.

Hundreds of Muslims gathered at mosques and Eidgah maidans across BVangalore despite a morning drizzle, offered prayers and warmly greeted one another to mark the end of the month-long Ramadan fast. They also gave alms to the poor.

Rains late Friday and early Saturday had left the maidans in Bangalore wet and slushy but that did not deter the devout from gathering in large numbers to offer prayers.

Temples in Bangalore and other cities also were decked up for the Ganesha festival and hundreds of devotees stood in serpentine queues to join special poojas and ‘aarati’ to the elephant-headed god who, according to mythological legends, wards off all evils.

Hundreds of Hindus also had colourful rangoli designs in the forecourts of their houses, strung fresh mango leaves across doors and worshipped Ganesha with traditional fervour.

In the evening, thousands of huge Ganesha idols put up at public places by groups of youth across Karnataka will be worshipped followed by musical programmes.

While most of the families in the state put up the Ganesha idols at their homes in thne morning and immerse these in the evening, many would do so after ten days of worship. During the ten days many boys and girls go round the houses to seek the blessings of Ganesha. They are pampered with sweets from the residents.

The Bangalore civic authorities will deploy mobile immersion tankers which will go round the city late Saturday to enable people to send off the good lord of wisdom.