Panaji: Goa ushered in the ten-day-long Ganesh Chaturthi festival with Hindu households worshipping Elephant-headed God on Wednesday.
Almost every household in the state worships Lord Ganesh on this day.
The ten-day-long festival began on Wednesday in the State. It was also a time for family reunion with the members, who are living in their nuclear family set up return back to their roots to celebrate this festival.
Some of the households in the state has this festival being celebrated on mega scale.
The 300-year-old mansion, known as Sanvordekar Wada, has more than 250 members coming together to celebrate this festival. “The mansion was constructed in the year 1734 and since then, all the family members have been celebrating the festival under one roof,” said Mandar Sanvordekar, a family member.
This palatial house with 80-odd rooms and four courtyards, located at Sanvordem village in South Goa has members across the India reuniting on this occasion.
Mandar said that the current is the eleventh generation of this family which will be celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi.
In another case, Kuwelkar family at Raia in South Goa has all its family members reuniting. Dr Saidutt Kuwelkar recalls that their century-old ancestral house has been a place for reunion every year on this day.
“The tradition continues and it will continue forever. That’s the spirit of Ganesh Chaturthi,” he said.
Few of the households also have broke the stereotypes for this Ganesh Chaturthi. 19-year-old Kshitija Samant became the first daughter of Samant family at Borim in South Goa to perform Ganesh Puja.
“The family members resolved that I should be performing Puja this year. It not written anywhere that the girl should not perform Puja,” she said.
