City braces up for grand festival celebrations

Visakhapatnam: Ganesh Chaturthi is a lot more than just the annual celebrations as the utsav committees, associations, neighbourhoods come together to usher in new beginnings and glad tidings.

After a lull of two years, the much sought-after Ganesh Chaturthi is all set to be celebrated in a grand manner in Visakhapatnam.

Along with the residents in various neighbourhoods who are having elaborate plans to arrange pandals and organise events, youths and representatives of merchant associations evince keen interest in featuring programmes that last for a day and, in some areas, the celebration will extend up to 21 days.

This year, Ganesh Chaturthi falls on August 31 and the organisers are bracing up for the occasion well in advance. From raising funds to sharing work, deciding on the height of the elephant-headed God to be installed and planning on the theme for the pandals, the arrangements are planned out on a large scale.

But, owing to Covid-19 pandemic, such grand celebrations came to a halt for the past two years. Even when a number of organisers pinned hope on the festivities till the last moment, the authorities concerned denied permission as a preventive measure to control the spread of the pandemic.

But this year, people are looking forward to making up for the lost two years and taking the celebrations to the next level. "Currently, the preparations are going on in full swing. Except for the height of the idol which needs to be installed at the pandals, the rest of the work has already commenced. Once the permission for the height of the idol at public places is sought, the arrangements would inch towards completion," says V Raju, member of the festival committee at Gopalapatnam.

Meanwhile, Gajuwaka gains larger significance during the festivities. Arranging the tallest Ganesh idol, installing a thematic pandal and making a mammoth laddu form a part of the annual celebrations here.

Earlier, the laddu offered to Lord Ganesh even found a place in the Guinness World Records. Like earlier editions, this time too, the organisers in Gajuwaka look forward to standing out in their celebrations.

Soon, the city neighbourhoods are set to don a festive look as a number of youth and merchant associations, including the ones at Poorna Market and Dondaparti, gear up for the grandeur the festivities exude.