A joyous homecoming
Sharmiela Mandre, actor-producer
Ganesh Chaturthi is one festival I never like to miss. Even if I have work or shoots scheduled, I always reschedule or postpone them. I truly enjoy celebrating this festival because it involves a lot of preparation, from the decorations to the detailed Puja. Every member of my family comes to our house, so it’s also an opportunity to spend time together, not to mention the elaborate lunch we have each year. Chitranna, bisi bele bath, obbattu, kadubu, modaks, and vadas – there’s always lots of food and I always feel like I need to work out afterwards!
Shubra Aiyappa, actor
This year, I’m celebrating Gauri Ganesha with my in-laws, for whom it’s a big festival. I come from a community (Kodava) where we don’t necessarily celebrate it as grandly. Sustainability is becoming important in Indian festivals, especially with Gauri-Ganesha. We keep a small clay Ganesha and immerse it at home in a bucket to avoid polluting the water. It’s the thought that counts more than the size or grandeur of the idol. I remember when large Ganeshas were the norm, but now we focus on being mindful and eco-friendly.
Ranjani Raghavan, actor
Ganesh Chaturthi brings back a lot of childhood memories. We used to visit as many houses in the neighbourhood as possible, counting how many Ganeshas we saw, and it felt like a victory. One of my favourite memories is the food that was made in abundance, enough to last for 10-15 days as evening snacks. For me, Ganesha feels more like a friend than a god. You can dance in front of him and celebrate without formality, which makes the festival special. We’ve stopped buying new idols because we already have several Ganesha idols at home, including beautiful brass ones.
Aniruddha Jatkar, actor
We celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi at home every year, and we always bring an eco-friendly Ganesha made of clay, as well as Gauri. We have a grand puja for both Gauri and Ganesha, followed by delicacies. My wife considers Ganesha her brother, as she doesn’t have a biological one, and has been tying a rakhi to him for the past 22 years, which was new to me when we got married. We’ve always kept an eco-friendly approach by immersing the Ganesha at home in a drum rather than in lakes or rivers to avoid environmental harm.
Suraj Gowda, actor
For me, Ganesh Chaturthi is a special time to reunite with family. What I enjoy most is spending quality time with my extended family. We all come together, dress traditionally, sing songs dedicated to Lord Ganesha, and celebrate in a way that’s been part of our family for many years. While food is an important part of the festivities, the true joy comes from being with family, praying together, and following the rituals of the festival. The spirit of togetherness is what makes it so special. I encourage everyone to choose eco-friendly idols to protect our water bodies and preserve the environment.