Indore: After a hiatus of two years Anant Chaturdashi is being celebrated with great pomp in the state. The procession for the festival was out on the streets of Indore on Friday evening gathering huge crowd to witness the tableau.
An arti was performed by Collector Manish Singh, police commissioner Harinarayanachari Mishra, Municipal Commissioner Pratibha Pal before the Khajarana Ganesh Management Committee tableau set out on the streets. Three tableaux have been constructed by the Municipal co-orp this year.
Ganeshotsav, the festivity of Ganesh Chaturthi, ends after 10 days, on Anant Chaturdashi, which is also known as Ganesh Visarjan day! On Ganesh Chaturthi, devotees bring an idol of Lord Ganesh at their home, which is worshipped for 10 days! Following which, on Anant Chaturdashi, devotees immerse the idol of Lord Ganesh in a water body, usually in lakes, rivers, seas, or ponds!
However, Indore has a unique twist to this great festival of Anant Chaturdashi, when people collectively take their idols for immersion! Indore Municipal Corporation and Indore Development Authority conduct a Chal Samaaroh (procession) in association with various organizations, administration, and the bodies of the erstwhile textile mills – the Rajkumar Mill, Swadeshi Mills, Hukumchand Mills, etc.!
It was in 1924 that this trend was incorporated in Indore. the first tableau was taken out by Hukamchand Mill of Sir Seth Hukamchand.