Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations at Moti Dungri temple to begin Aug 20

Jaipur, Aug 18 (PTI) The annual Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations at the iconic Moti Dungri Ganesh Temple in Jaipur will begin on Wednesday, with a traditional 'Modak Jhanki'.

The main Janmotsav of Lord Ganesha to be observed on August 27, with the last of the celebrations to be held the day after.

Two grand 251-kg 'modaks' will be the centrepiece when the festivities begin on August 20. Five 'modaks' weighing 51 kg each, 21 modaks of 21 kg each, and over 1,100 smaller modaks of 1.25 kg have also been planned for the occasion, head priest of the temple, said Kailash Sharma.

The 'modaks' will be prepared with 2,500 kg of pure ghee, 3,000 kg of flour, 9,000 kg of sugar and 100 kg of dry fruits.

'Darshan' will begin from 5 am but no outside offerings will be permitted that day.

From August 22 to 25, a series of cultural programmes have been scheduled in the temple complex. These include Dhrupad singing ”-- a form of classical devotional music on August 22, followed by Kathak dance performances on the next three evenings.

On August 26, the 'sinjara' and 'mehendi' rituals will take place. More than 3,100 kg of 'mehendi' has been sourced from Sojat in Pali, which will be ceremonially applied to the idol of Ganesha, after which it will be distributed to devotees.

In a special adornment on the eve of Ganesh Chaturthi, the deity will be seated on a silver throne and adorned with a gold crown and a specially crafted Naulakha Haar, ”an ornament embedded with pearls, gold, emeralds and rubies, designed by the temple's priestly family over three months.

This ceremonial attire is worn only once a year during this festival, he said.

The main Janmotsav on August 27 will include a sequence of rituals starting with Mangala Aarti. The celebrations will conclude with a grand Shobha Yatra on August 28.

The procession will begin at 4 pm from Moti Dungri temple and pass through MD Road, Johri Bazar, Tripolia Bazar, Gangori Bazaar, and Nahargarh Road before reaching the historic Garh Ganesh temple.

He said that elaborate security and crowd management measures will be in place as a large crowd is expected.

"Four AI-enabled cameras have been installed at major entry points, while 72 CCTV cameras will monitor all temple activities," he added. PTI SDA SKY SKY