Surat, 12 September (H.S.): Surat is preparing for one of Gujarat’s major Ganeshotsav celebrations, with the Lokmanya Tilak Ganesh Utsav Mandal set to organise an 11-day festival at Balar Farm spread over around 3.60 lakh square feet. The event is estimated to involve expenditure of more than Rs 6 crore.

The celebrations will feature a blend of traditional devotion and contemporary initiatives aimed at connecting Gen-Z youth with Indian culture. According to the organisers, activities such as bhajan clubbing and jamming will be introduced to encourage young people to participate in the festival with their families and experience devotion in a contemporary format.

A major attraction will be a 22-foot-high eco-friendly Ganesha idol made of tissue paper. The idol will be installed with a message of environmental protection and placed on a royal throne. It will be decorated with gold and silver ornaments estimated to be worth around Rs 50 lakh.

The idol will not be immersed in a river or the sea. An artificial pond will be constructed within the pandal premises at Balar Farm for the immersion as part of measures to protect water bodies.

The festival will be led by Pooja Patel, president of the Lokmanya Tilak Ganesh Utsav Mandal. According to the organisers, it is the first time in Gujarat that a Ganeshotsav mandal is being led by a woman. Patel said women could also successfully lead large-scale events.

Social initiatives will also form part of the celebrations. Gen-Z volunteers will felicitate police personnel engaged in security arrangements and participate in programmes for differently abled and orphaned children.

Volunteers will be deployed to manage traffic and parking arrangements. The organisers estimate that around 10 lakh devotees may visit the venue during the 11-day festival.

In view of the scale of the event, the mandal has taken an insurance cover of Rs 100-110 crore against possible accidents and unforeseen incidents. Insurance consultant Nigresh Madhavani said adequate risk cover had been taken so that the organisers would not face a financial burden in the event of an accident.

The festival will combine religious and cultural programmes with youth participation, social service and environmental initiatives, according to the organisers.

Hindusthan Samachar / Yajuvendra Dubey / Amaresh Dwivedi

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar