India Post News Service
FREMONT, California: Ganesh Chaturthi which celebrates the Hindu deity Lord Ganesha, worshipped as the god of new beginnings and the remover of obstacles, was organized by Radio Zindagi as Ganesh Utsav September 7 and 8 outside of the Newpark mall in Newark.
A 14-foot Lord Ganesha idol was placed on a stage, and daily rituals were performed by a priest. On September 8, Ganesh Visarjan was done by immersing a smaller two-foot idol into a small pool of water.
“Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on the birthday of Lord Ganesh (Ganesha). It is believed that Lord Ganesh bestows his presence on earth for all his devotees during this festival,” the organizers said ina statement.
“Ganesha is widely worshipped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. It is believed that for the fulfilment of one’s desires, his blessing is absolutely necessary. According to mythology, he is the son of Shiva and Parvati.”
Sehba Shah, part of organizing a committee of the event, described the amount of effort that went into organizing the event, which drew thousands of attendees during the weekend.
“It is really a blessing to have such a magnificent idol out here, and the volunteers did such a good job here, it’s really amazing,” Shah said.
“It’s a big impact on kids especially because they get to learn about our culture and our religion, and it’s a big benefit for parents to teach kids that.”
