Yuvika Chaudhary
We are getting Ganpati Bappa home for the first time. I have always wanted to bring him home, but as they say, it’s Bappa’s choice when he decides to grace your home. We want to say thank you for everything he has blessed us with. It is our way of showing gratitude. The excitement I feel for the festival can’t be described. I start getting into celebratory mode days before Ganesh Chaturthi begins.
Sharad Malhotra
I have been bringing Ganpati Bappa home for the last 11 years. The fervour of the festival in Mumbai is unparalleled. We keep Bappa home for a day-and-a-half — this year, the celebration will take place amid strict Covid-19 protocols. I would be celebrating it with family and close pals; my mother came to Mumbai especially for Ganesh Chaturthi.
Delnaaz Irani
I have always been an ardent fan of Ganpati Bappa. Ganesh Chaturthi celebration in SoBo happens on a grand scale — there’s a lot of music, hustle and bustle on the streets (pre-pandemic times, of course), and a feeling of positivity is in the air. This is for the third year we welcomed Bappa home for a day-and-a-half. Owing to Covid-19 restrictions, it was a low-key affair with just a few friends and relatives dropping by for darshan. If Bappa wishes, he will grace our home next year as well.
Avinash Mukherjee
Ganesh Chaturthi is an excitement-filled festival for me. This year, we will be keeping him home for five days — previously, it was for a day-and-a-half. This year, I feel the situation is a bit better than 2020 — at least there is some sort of normalcy. We will be celebrating it with as much enthusiasm as possible. Of course, all Covid-19 protocols will be strictly followed. I am praying that Vighnaharta rids everyone of their worries and takes away all the problems.
Arpit Ranka
Ganpati is special to me as my elder kid was born during Ganesh Chaturthi. We used to visit actor Parag Tyagi’s home for darshan earlier. Then, four years ago, my wife, Nidhi, expressed her wish of bringing Bappa at our home, and we have been welcoming him since. We do the visarjan on the second day. This is also when I get to eat modaks to my heart’s content and other delicacies without worrying about my diet. It was a low-key celebration for us, given the pandemic situation. I pray that Bappa blesses everyone with strength to overcome these trying times and that he removes Covid-19 from our lives.
Payal Ghosh
Ganpati is a festival I enjoy to the fullest. I can completely let my hair down. I love how the festival brings everyone together. For these 10 days, I try to take time off work. I always get an eco-friendly Ganpati with a seed in it and plant it after the visrajan. This way, I can keep Bappa closer to me. I think we should all move towards a more eco-friendly way of celebrating the festival. This world belongs to Bappa along with us, and he would like us to keep it cleaner. Let’s all celebrate this year with more caution as the pandemic is not over yet. Ganpati Bappa, morya!
Gaurav S Bajaj
Out of all the Indian festivals, Ganesh Chaturthi is my favourite — the positive atmosphere that one can feel during this time is indescribable. Due to the pandemic, the celebration will naturally be a little different. I am in my hometown, Indore, with my family. We have been welcoming Bappa home for almost four decades now. This year, my wife and I made an eco-friendly idol, which we will keep for 10 days. After the visarjan, we will use the mud to plant Tulsi. When I am Mumbai, my family comes to the city for the festival. Since I am based in Mumbai for work, I started bringing Bappa here over six years ago. But we visit our ancestral place in Indore once in a while for the festival.
