Bhubaneswar: The Capital came alive with devotion and festivity as citizens celebrated Ganesh Puja Wednesday. Despite intermittent showers disrupting outdoor events, the festive spirit remained undeterred across the City. From early morning, temples and community pandals in Saheed Nagar, Nayapalli, Unit-VIII, and Old Town drew large crowds of devotees offering prayers to Lord Ganesh, revered as the remover of obstacles and harbinger of new beginnings. Schools and colleges marked the occasion with special pujas, cultural performances, and distribution of laddus and boondi prasad.
However, rain from mid-morning disrupted outdoor programmes and led to waterlogging in parts of Acharya Vihar, Baramunda, and Laxmisagar. Some cultural events were shifted indoors, while pandal visits slowed due to traffic congestion and slippery roads. This year, the Badagada Ganesh Puja Committee created a 61-ft idol of Lord Ganesh, which drew huge public attention.
Similarly, the Saheed Nagar Club’s idol also became a major attraction. Amid the celebrations, Chief Minister Mihan Charan Majhi extended warm wishes to the people of Odisha. In a message earlier in the day, he said, “Heartfelt greetings and best wishes to all on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. May Lord Ganesh’s boundless grace bring happiness and prosperity to everyone’s lives.” This year also witnessed a shift towards eco-friendly celebrations, with many pandals installing clay idols and adopting plastic-free decorations.
Several youth clubs in Bhubaneswar used the occasion to promote awareness of environmental responsibility. The Ganesh Visarjan (immersion) is scheduled for September 1, with authorities urging citizens to remain cautious amid forecasts of continued rainfall. Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched a special initiative for waste management during Ganesh Puja.
Dedicated vehicles have been deployed in all three administrative zones to collect devotional flowers from pandals. As per records, there are 179 pandals in the South Zone, 122 in the South-East Zone, and 70 in the North Zone. Zonal Commissioners have already held meetings with pandal committees. Each zone has one vehicle that will visit pandals twice a day, with local sanitation inspectors coordinating the collection. The puja waste will be transported to the Pokhariput Micro Composting Centre (MCC) for processing.