This year, the Ganesh Puja celebrations begins at 6pm on Saturday 7th September at the school in Arnold’s Way, Botley with ‘Pran-Pratishtha’, which is the process of bringing in life in the idol by enchanting mantras.
The festival is marked with the installation of a eco-friendly Ganesh idol. While worshippers pray and chant Vedic hymns and Hindu texts, such as the Ganapati Upanishad. Offerings are then distributed, including Indian food delicacies and sweets such as modak.
Procession is scheduled for 4.30pm Sunday. Festival ends with immersion of the god into water.
The event is free, but registration is required. There will also be a cultural programme, for all to enjoy and see the amazing traditional Indian dances and classical singing by professionals as well as upcoming artists and children. It will also have workshops for children to learn to make Ganesh from clay and classes (Balgokulam) to learn about culture.
FREE pure vegetarian Indian traditional meals will be served.
Ganesh is the lord of intelligence and prosperity and Ganesh Utsav is traditionally a ten-day celebration, which typically falls in August or September and is widely celebrated across India and many other parts of the world. This festival celebrates the elephant-headed god Ganesh’s birthday, who is God of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune.
The ‘Visarjan’ (Immersion) procession, with music and chanting will be from the Matthew Arnold School to the River Thames. This is to submerge the idol of Ganesh in the river, as per tradition.
