Artist Shivu works on a pre-ordered eco-friendly Ganesha idol in his workshop at Basavanagudi in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: Murali Kumar K
Bengaluru is gearing up for Ganesha Chaturthi, which falls on August 27, with unique themes, celebrations and idols for thousands of street pandals that are organised every year.
With the festival falling in the same month as Independence Day, going with the fervour of patriotism, many pandals have decided to adopt the theme of ‘Operation Sindoor’ (India’s military strikes against targets in Pakistan) for decorations this year.
“We will bring a normal Ganesha idol, but along with it, we will use posters and banners to create awareness and celebrate Operation Sindoor. Along with that, we will also put up some educational material on the Dharmasthala case to ensure that people do not target the temple or religious sentiments, instead of people who are involved in wrongdoings,” said Shashidhar who is part of Basaveshwaranagar Ganesha Samithi. The pandal will organise the celebrations in the first week of September instead of during the festival.
Most pandals are also organising food donation camps, blood donation camps and cultural programmes during the festival.
Navodaya Geleyara Balaga, which organises the festival in Nagawara that attracts thousands of people, is going with the ‘Maharaja’ theme for the 36th edition of its celebrations. The group is known for its annual ‘laddu auction’ under which those interested to buy a giant laddu have paid up to ₹5.6 lakh over the years.
“This year, the idol of Ganesha will be custom made to look like a Maharaja. All the decorations will follow the theme. We will also be incorporating elements of Operation Sindoor. We are working with the decorators to see how we can do it,” said Subramani, from Navodaya Geleyara Balaga. The group will be organising the celebrations for five days from the day of the festival.
Apart from these, the well-known Bengaluru Ganesha Utsav (BGU) has planned programmes to celebrate the festival on a grand scale between August 27 and September 6. The celebrations will take place in two locations – APS College Ground and National College Ground. On the day of the festival, ‘24 hours of Ganesha Darshan’ will be provided to devotees.
Along with performances by famous musicians and dance groups, around 25,000 women will come together on August 31 to chant sacred hymns of Ganesha.
Published – August 21, 2025 04:08 pm IST
