In a land, which has 3.3 Million Gods and Goddesses, Ganesha has carved out his place in the hearts of billions of Hindus with His wisdom, humour and in particular He is a favourite, especially with the kids, who adore him and his animal companion, the humble mouse. Ganesha also has a sweet tooth, with a traditional Indian sweet, the ‘Modak’ being his favourite !

This year marked another grand celebration of the festival dedicated to Ganesha, which started on Thursday, 13th with a consecration of a clay idol, followed by devotional songs and ritual worship.

Friday saw a medley of devotional songs, and story telling for the children, who are always keen on listening to Ganesha’s adventures.

Saturday was an all day celebration, with an Art and Painting Exhibition running in the morning, where the children took to creating paintings depicting Ganesha, with oodles of creativity.

The Mayor and Mayoress graced the ‘WoKids Got Talent’ evening with their presences, and enjoyed watching the kids showcasing their talents in variety of performances combining song, dance and more. The Mayor also handed out certificates to the children, who were delighted to meet him.

With so much going on, Sunday crept up on us sooner than expected, and it was already time to prepare to bid adieu to our beloved Ganesha, even as the people, in particular the children had grown so attached to his presence. However, this is reminiscent of the cycles in life, He leaves, so that He may visit us again next year.

Cries of “Ganpati Bappa Morya, Pudhcya Varshi Lavkar Ya” tore through the air, (Glory be to Ganesha, Please come back again, quickly next year), as drummers from the Dhol Beats UK band led a procession of people, who were dancing and singing in joy. The festivities culminated at the Goldsworth Park, where an impromptu performance of drums, songs and dance also saw park visitors joining in the revelry.

The evening ended with the clay idol of Ganesha being immersed in the lake, with prayers, happy faces, and a tinge of sadness that it will be another year before the communities experience Ganesha’s serene presence again.