Ganpati's back. Let the celebrations begin

People thronged the famous 'Lalbaug Ka Raja', which has the huge 23-feet Lord Ganpati idol, ahead of the popular Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai.

"I wait whole year to see Lord Ganpati. I am very excited and happy to see idol of Lord Ganpati," said Meena Patil, a devotee.

Both skilled and unskilled labourers from different parts of the country come to the metropolis to sculpt Ganesh idols. Over 20,000 artisans get jobs in Mumbai alone before the annual festival every year.

Markets are thronging with devotees, who are busy buying decorative items.

"Preparations are in full swing for the festival. We are eagerly waiting to welcome Lord Ganpati. Several ornaments like necklace and other decorative items for Ganpati are available in the market," said Omakar Munde, another devotee.

The festival will begin on Sunday and would continue for 10 days.

At the end of the 10-day long festival, idols of Lord Ganesha are taken out in grand processions and immersed in water bodies.

During the festival, Ganesh idols are worshipped at hundreds of 'pandals' or makeshift tents before they are immersed in water bodies.

Ganesh Chaturthi was a personal and private affair till the last century. But at the turn of the century, freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak started using it as a platform for political propaganda against British colonial rule.

The festival is also popular in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat.

Lord Ganesha is regarded as 'Vinayak', the God of Knowledge and the 'Vigneshwara', the remover of obstacles.