City joins in celebrations

It is not just the Marathi community in Ludhiana that is going to be celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi. An 18-foot-high idol of Lord Ganesha has been installed in Ludhiana's Janak Puri area as part of a tradition that dates to 1992.
Keeping in mind rising pollution in the city, the Baba Ganpati Sewa Sang, which has funded the idol and is behind the celebrations in Janak Puri, has ensured that the idol is made of clay and dissolves in water."My father, late Harish Bedi, who was a BJP MLA from Ludhiana started the tradition in 1992. Though he died three years ago, we are still organizing this event," says Honey Bedi, the president of the organizing body. "He wanted Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations to be as big in the city as they are in Maharashtra and other western states of India," he says.
To begin with, in 1992, a 14-foot-tall idol was installed in the area. "We have been trying to increase its size with the passing of each year," he says.
On the day the idol submerged in the Satluj river, the organizing body also holds a community kitchen for people. "That's what this festival is about: Spreading happiness," he adds.
A resident of Janak Puri, Subhash Verma, calls the initiative of celebrating the festival in Ludhiana as a funfiled. "The joyous atmosphere is infectious," he says.
A Punjabi twist
A Badewal Road resident, Jyoti Goyal, celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi for the first time in her life on Monday by inviting about 50 of her friends home. "My brother lives in Bombay. When I was visiting him last year, I was really impressed by the celebrations," she says.
"We bought an idol of Ganesha home in the morning and prayed as per tradition," she says. Later, in the evening, Jyoti invited 50 of her friends home for prayers. "Once that was over, we celebrated by doing dandiya," she says.
Bakeries, pastry shops join in
Meanwhile, Ludhiana-based chocolate-maker Harjinder Kukreja has made a chocolate statue of Lord Ganesha. "We will later dristibute among children belonging to poor families of Ludhiana," he said. It took seven days and 40 kg of chocolate to make the idol.
Manik Bajaj of BRS Nagar, another owner of a bakery shop in the city, said cakes and chocolates made in the shape of Ganesh were in "huge demand" this year. "People have never really ordered cakes on Ganesh Chaturthi. But this year's been quite different," he said.
Mall Road resident Palak Kansal is one such person who has got a Ganesha cake made. "I especially got this cake, as it is his birthday," she said.