Ganesh chaturthi is celebrated with great devotion all over Maharashtra in India. It is a very important religious festival among the Maharashtrians.
People bring home idols of Lord Ganesh and celebrate the festival by worshiping the Lord in a special way for a day and a half, 5 days, 7 days or 11 days depending on the family tradition and commitment of each individual.
On the last day of worship the idol is taken out in a colourful and musical procession to be immersed traditionally in a lake or a village pond.

Our family follows the same tradition, the only exception being that we have all the craftsmans and artistry done inhouse. Our family being a family of artists, this doesnt come as a surprise.
The idol itself is hand sculpted by Vasant Agaskar and painted by Vasant & Prabhakar Agaskar. The decoration is visualised, art directed and crafted by the two with the help of Nandoo, Arun Thakur, Kshipra & Chani amongst some of the younger generation and it invariably comes out a winner every year. Not to mention the ladies gang who helps out with the organising of the event and the pooja festivities and the handling of the huge ammount of guests visiting the family in the two days. And then there is Nana Kaka (Kamlakar Agaskar) who handles all the 'back-end' operations with great skill and professionalism. Me?? Well as always I am the family photographer. Can't expect too much hard work from me!
This year's decoration theme was a Palkhi.
The Palkhi, an intricately carved and exquisitely upholstered palanquin, was the traditional means of transport in ancient India and the privilege of the royal, the aristocrats and the landed gentry. This vehicle is carried on the powerful shoulders of the most trusted members from among the passenger's personal staff. The Palkhi spells the ultimate in luxury, comfort and trusted service.
[ Ofcourse I didnt write that!! Thats what the British call plagiarism and I call research....;) ]
Rudresh performed the pooja this year and the festival like every year was greater than the previous year!!

~ Swapnil.