Festivity in the air as Visakhapatnam decks up for Vinayaka Chaviti

Festive preparations for Vinayaka Chaviti in the city with bustling markets, theme-based pandals, and temple decorations.

A festive atmosphere prevailed in the city as pandals are being readied for Vinayaka Chaviti this Saturday.

The local markets, rythu bazaars, MVP Colony, Seethammadhara, Poorna Market, Old Gajuwaka, Kancharapalem and China Waltair are bustling with people making last minute purchases. The traffic police had a tough day monitoring the flow of vehicles at the markets.

Hundreds of stalls, selling clay Ganesh idols, were set up across the city, while many organisations, institutions, establishments, and government departments came forward for mass distribution of clay Ganesh idols keeping in view the environmental concerns.

Shopkeepers had a very busy day selling decorative items, lights, lamps, fruits, sweets, several leaves and colourful decorative umbrellas, which are used for the puja. Many vendors were seen demanding double the price for fruits and flowers which devotees not only offer to the deity, but also decorate the pandal.

The single-window system for Ganesh pandals by the city police has evoked huge response. By 7 p.m. on Friday, 3,866 applications were received from various areas to set up Ganesh pandals this year. Except for a very few, which may lead to traffic problems, almost all the pandals were given No Objection Certificate (NoC) by the police personnel. The police have given a QR code to the pandal organisers, which has to be displayed at the pandal.

This year, a number of organisers have come up with theme-based Ganesh pandals. An association is coming up with Ganesh pandal in Ayodhya Ram Mandir theme. City-based SV Entertainments has come up with 89-foot ‘Sri Maha Uchchista Ganapathi’ idol at Sri Nagar. Though the organisers have initially planned for 117-foot Ganesh idol, they had to stick to 89-foot due to various reasons. Nearby Gajuwaka bus depot, 75-foot Ganesh idol which was made of jaggery is being set up by a team. The organisers have procured 20 tonnes of jaggery all the way from Rajasthan to withstand all weather conditions.

Meanwhile, Sampath Vinayaka Temple at Assilmetta, Sri Durga Ganapathi Temple at Seethampeta, Bellam Ganapathi Temple at Jalaripeta and a few other prominent temples in the city have been decked up for the auspicious day.