Ganesh Chaturthi - 2012

The students of Abhyasa Residential School have a unique way to celebrate the universally popular festival ‘Ganesh Chaturthi'.Abhyasa has always had a sincere concern for fast degrading environment caused by air and water pollution.Abhyasites therefore make the idols of their favorite God Ganesh with plain clay without any chemical colours . The process of idol- making was started at around 10.00 A.M. on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi itself and came to an end on the same day. The natural idols of Lord Ganesh were then, brought to the ‘Prayer Hall' at Abhyasa by 06.00 P.M. A puja of Lord Shri Ganesh was performed . The village priest of the Toopran was present on the occasion and performed the required rituals of the puja. He explained to the students the significance of this festival. Narrating the origins of ‘Lord Shri Ganesh', the village priest asked the students to be obedient to their parents and care –takers and ‘committed' to their duties and responsibilities as students. "Success", in the words of the village priest, is nothing but a good combination of obedience and duty. A "Bhajan Sandhya" consisting of shlokas and devotional songs about Lord Shri Ganesh followed this discourse. The three day long festivity of the Ganesh Puja came to an end with the Abhyasites submerging the idols of the adorable Lord Shri Ganesh in the village pond with enthusiastic slogans such as "Ek , Do, Teen,Chaar , Ganapathi ki jai jai kaar", "Ganapathi Bappa Moraya" etc.

Well all good things have to come to an end. But Abhyasa concluded the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations with the knowledge and hope that next years Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations will be back - - - bigger and better ! ! !