Jay Ganesh! Jay Ganesh! Jay Ganesh Deva,

Mata jaki Parvati, pita Mahadeva!

An overwhelming excitement gripped the young souls of Atmiya Vidya Mandir as the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi reigned the school on 2nd September 2019. Initially, the idol of Lord Ganesh was invited to the premises of Atmiya Vidya Mandir. The murti was made of mud but was decked with all sorts of eye-catching colours, stunning ornaments and fascinating flowered garlands that lured the school children like pollinators and captivated them.

Ganesh Chaturthi is a traditional festival that originated in Maharashtra before independence. It was formally commenced to bring people together for the cause of freedom and to infuse a spirit of nationalism in them. This festival continues to be celebrated with a lot of zeal even after several decades of independence.

By the same token, the arrival of Lord Ganesh in the school campus was celebrated with great enthusiasm and zeal by a crowd of blissful students. The students of grades 1 to 6 got the privilege to attend the pooja for Ganesh Chaturthi held in the temple. The pundit chanted the mantras for the installation and sthapna of Lord Ganesh in the temple. During the time period from 3rd September to 7th September, the students and staff, big and small, conveyed their grievances, desires and delightful moments to Lord Ganesh.

On 8th September, the time arrived for Lord Ganesh’s departure. There was an inflow of ‘ta-tas and bye-byes’ from the younger school children. Lord Ganesh’s idol was kept under the shade of palm leaves in a devotionally decorated carriage. The carriage took a round of the whole campus with the students following, dancing merrily. This mass celebration resulted into an event of liveliness, cheerfulness and exuberance. The environment was highly spirited and undoubtedly, everyone could feel the energy in their veins!

Finally, Lord Ganesh was brought to a lagoon near the school, where He was immersed into it. The environment had risen to the peak of devotion and religious fervour. All types of melodious and tuneful songs, ballads, refrains and bhajans were played by the music team of our school. Conclusively, the aarti of Lord Ganesh poured devotion deep into the souls of each and every individual of the school.

Reported by: Nishant Patel, Utsav Choksi, Shrimed Sangani (Class 10)