12-day Ganesh Mahotsav begins in Shimla, 108 idols installed

Shobha yatra marks start of festivities at Middle Bazaar; daily prayers, kirtans and aarti scheduled till September 25

Shimla, September 14

A 12-day Ganesh Mahotsav began in Shimla on Monday with a shobha yatra and installation of 108 idols of Lord Ganesha at the MC Complex in Middle Bazaar.

Organised by the Shri Siddhivinayak Seva Mandal Trust, the procession started from the Deputy Commissioner’s Office and passed through Lower Bazaar and the Mall before reaching Middle Bazaar, where the idols were installed with Vedic rituals and mantra chanting.

Ashutosh, president of the trust, said the festivities would continue till Anant Chaturdashi on September 25, when the idols would be immersed in Sunni after a havan and puja at 8 am.

Daily puja will be held at 9 am, followed by kirtan sessions by local bhajan groups from noon to 4 pm. Invited bhajan groups from outside Shimla will perform from 4 pm to 8 pm.

A special puja will be held at 8 pm, followed by aarti at 9 pm. The organisers have also arranged a “bhandara” for devotees throughout the festival.