Shilpa Shetty (actor)
This is the seventh year when I will bring Ganpati home. I keep the idol at home for five days, and since last year I’ve made a promise to myself that I will contribute to the environment by bringing home an eco-friendly Ganpati. I request other devotees also to use eco-friendly idols and materials because the mercury level is rising in lakes. I also enjoy visiting other people’s houses and Ganesh pandals too. I dance my heart out during Ganesh visarjan; it’s fun and a way of showing god how happy we were to have him amidst us.
Nitin Mukesh (singer)
We have been bringing Ganpati home for the last 22 years. We keep Him home for all 10 days. The idol is quite large and made from clay. The home decor is similar to that of temple, hence the house feels the same, with beautiful vibes during those 10 days. Every day is different — from the Sthapna Poojan on the first day to Gauri Pujan when Haldi Kumkum is hosted and at least 50 women tie rakhis to the God. I specially get rakhis made from Kolkata for this occasion. We go to Chowpatty beach for the visarjan. Since the idol is fairly large, we take him in a truck and I sit inside, holding the idol. This festival is all about faith.
Sunidhi Chauhan (singer)
My mom brings home an eco-friendly Ganpati idol for 11 days every year. I do my best to attend all 11 days of darshan, but it depends on my schedule. My mom doesn’t call a poojari; she does the pooja herself, while inviting a few close friends for darshan. She either makes the prasad, which includes modaks, at home or she gets them from a shop. If I am in town, I go for the immersion, otherwise my parents do the needful. On the rare occasion that I ask anything of Ganpati, it’s very personal and cannot be disclosed.
Narmada Ahuja (actress, Govinda’s daughter)
It’s one of my favourite festivals. We bring Ganpatiji home for one-and-a-half days and celebrate with a lot of vigour. We decorate the house with lights, get lots of mithai and order heaps of food, with friends and relatives coming over for darshan. We perform aarti twice a day. Papa (actor Govinda) is very actively involved in the Ganpati festival — he gets Ganpatiji home and is the one who does the entire pooja. He also goes for the visarjan. We celebrate this festival with lots of pomp.
Katrina Kaif (actor)
I visit my friends’ houses during Ganpati festival. It’ll be wonderful to bring home a Ganesh idol in the near future.