Ganesh Jayanti to be celebrated with gold cradle in Pune's Dagdu Seth Halwai temple

The famous Shrimant Dagdusheth Ganapati Temple Trust in Pune will celebrate the birth of lord Ganesha with a series of festivities on January 25. This year, the temple authorities have arranged for a cradle made of gold for the birth rituals.

Pune: Like every year, the Shrimant Dagdusheth Ganapati Temple Trust in Pune is all set to celebrate Lord Ganesha's birth rituals on January 25. As a part of the ceremony preparations, the temple authorities have organised a golden palanquin adorned with with auspicious symbols like the swastika, om and gajmukha.

The palanquin, or 'Suvarnapalna' as it is called in Marathi, has been made from the gold donations by the devotees here. The cradle rests on a five feet high teak wood stand which is coated with 4 kg silver and an additional layer of gold coating. A total of 2 kg 280 grams of gold has been used in its making.

The festivities to be held tommorow are being planned and organised by the Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Public Ganpati Trust and Suvarnayug Tarun Mandal. The celebrations mark the Magh Shuddha Chaturthi, as informed by the Trust President Manik Chavan.

Chavan further informed that the festivities will begin at 3 am in the morning, with the Brahmanspati Sukta Abhishek. After that, Padmashri Usman Khan will offer 'Swarabhishek' to Lord Ganesha by playing Sitar from 4 am to 6 am. The Ganesh Yagnya is slated next, to be held at 7 am.

The main birth anniversary ritual will commence at 12 pm, and will be followed by 'Sahastravartana' at 3 pm. Next in the list of ceremonies is the Nagar Pradakshina that has been organized at 6 pm. Durther from 10 pm to 4 am, the authorities have organised a Ganesh Jagar at the temple. The preparations for these celebrations are in full swing as the temple premises are being decorated with flowers and bright lights.