Ganeshotsav 2026: How Catholics across Maharashtra embrace the celebrations

Visiting a few friends on Day 1 of Ganeshotsav is Lester Dsouzas fondest memory of celebrating the festival Its a ritual that he has observed for a long time nowHe shares I have been celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi since childhood Visiting my friendsrsquo homes and local pandals was something I have been doing since I was a child So it has been naturally integrated into my life Besides having secularminded parents who always taught me to respect every religion has also played a huge roleDsouza is one of many Mumbaikars and Indians who join in the celebrations of Ganeshotsav every yearMumbairsquos cosmopolitan character means people from different communities come together to celebrate festivals throughout the year The celebration which began on September 14 will go on for 12 days this year and people make the most of not just the first or the second day but all the days of the festivalWhile visiting friends hopping from one place to another and eating modaks one after the other is easily my favourite memory Sometimes there are random visitors who come to pray and pay their respects to the Ganpati idol and families welcome them as their own which is also why the festival is unique Thatrsquos the true beauty of Ganesh Chaturthi shares the Vasaibased undertaker and funeral directorWhile his celebrations are usually focused on the first day the 27yearolds love for the festival and spending time with his friends is likely to keep him celebrating in the years to comeI may set out to see a few more pandals in and around Vasai with a few friends which is a different level of fun in itself he addsHow the vibe of Mumbai changes is fascinatingElsewhere in Ambernath Kayden Anthony like Dsouza celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi and Ganeshotsav with his friends even though he is an atheist For him the festival has become a cultural celebrationHe shares Since childhood Irsquove been going to my neighboursrsquo and friends houses to celebrate festivals such as Laxmi Pooja during Diwali too I remember as kids in the building we would gather at my friends place for Ganpati celebrations and have modak after that It was the one day we would all get along without fightingCelebrating the festival has always been a unique experience for the 30yearold Mumbaikar who is a wildlife biologistThe whole vibe of Mumbai is fascinating during this time of the year During the rest of the year we live an extremely fastpaced life and the city is busy And then there is a drastic shift in the cityrsquos mood the colours the decorations and the celebrations Itrsquos hard to wrap your head around how an entire city changes for a few weeksCarrying this spirit forward throughout the 11 days Anthony says he and his friends try to celebrate Ganeshotsav in their own way beyond the traditional ritualsOur group of friends does it differently Apart from the aarti and the food we also have a games session with small challenges We do it every year So itrsquos a way we make it a little special he addsThere is more to the celebrations for Anthony and it stems from his passion and occupation as a wildlife expert who goes by the name man_of_the_forest on Instagram representing your next door wildlife teacher making Indian wildlife mainstream by simplifying it for Indians and people across the globeHe shares Ganesh Chaturthi is the one Indian festival closest to nature in my opinion Elephants are known for their intelligence and empathy and so is Lord GaneshaFrom Goa with loveElsewhere in Pune Merav DSouzarsquos connection with Ganesh Chaturthi began in childhood However she started celebrating the festival more actively only later in life The Goan was introduced to Lord Ganesha popularly known as Ganpati Bappa as a childWhen I was a child my parents would take me around the city Vasco Da Gama to visit the Sarvajanik Ganesh mandals every Ganesh Chaturthi I remember being fascinated by the huge Ganpati idols the decorations and the energy around the festivalThe early exposure shaped the way she saw the festival even though DSouza grew up surrounded by the festivities of Christmas and every other Catholic traditionShe added There is one particular memory from my childhood that has stayed with me all these years I was being extremely stubborn one evening refusing to have dinner crying and insisting that my parents take me to see Ganpati Bappa Eventually they gave in and took me but just before we entered the mandal my mother pointed out Ganpati Bappas raised hand the one in which he is shown giving his blessings and said that Ganpati Bappa was saying ldquoStop right there go back finish your food and then come to see me I took it so much to heart that I went back home finished my dinner and came back to see him That was where I connected with Ganpati Bappa for the first timeDSouzas familiarity with Lord Ganesha only deepened from there She recalls The sukhkarta dukhharta aarti would weirdly give me goosebumps and calm me down at the same time before I even knew what it meant I would feel tears rolling down my face when I stood before him as if all my pentup and untouched emotions had been let freeThe 28yearolds connection with Lord Ganesha deepened further when she moved to Maharashtra for her schooling where she was exposed to the festival in a different settingMy friends make it a point to make me feel like a part of their celebrations at their respective houses every year at least virtually Of course a lot of people do get curious about this side of me and I love explaining it to them when they come to me with genuine questionsHer fascination for the festival did not stop there because she pursued college in Karnataka and realised how celebrations transcend states but every place has its own uniqueness However she has a favourite ldquoTheres no doubt that the levels top in Maharashtra and that is exactly how I like itOver time she went from pandalhopping and visiting temples to joining aartis and learning about what they mean and the significance of rituals making her own tiny modaks to offer to Bappa and performing her own little aarti for a Bappa idol she found in the apartment she had moved into Now with an idol gifted by a friend she dreams of welcoming Bappa into her own home one dayShe reveals Someday Im hoping Ill be able to welcome Ganpati Bappa into my own house in the most auspicious way possibleTill then shes done something special for herselfIf you see my altar youll see Ganpati Bappa and Jesus Christ together she addsCelebrating every year has always been exciting for her and this year is going to be no differentThe nuclear medicine technologist concludes Looking back I think each year has just got better This year has to be the best so far because Im finally in Pune at the heart of the festival Im looking forward to hearing dhols and seeing clouds of gulal and eating a lot of ukdicke modaks and of course bowing before Bappa at every corner of the street in the city