Vinayaka Chaturthi Celebration in UK:
For a Hindu, Ganesh Chaturthi is a very important date of his festival calendar. The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated to pursue the blessings of Lord Ganesha, the elephant headed deity, on his birthday.
In the United Kingdom there are a number of places where Lord Ganesha is worshipped on the occasion of his birthday.
Hounslow Ganesh Mandal – Hounslow:
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated by the residents of Hounslow, London for two days where they use idols made of eco- friendly material. On the first day they perform the traditional puja ceremony, which is followed by events like rangoli competition and fancy dress parade. In the evening they conduct DJ parties. On the second day, Ganapati Visarjan is performed, which involves immersion of the idol in the River Thames , after a large procession.
Maharashtra Mandal celebrations – Dollis Hill, London:
Over 10,000 people participate in the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi festival held at Dolis Hill in London. Traditional puja is performed in the morning, followed by cultural programmes in the evening. The idol is then taken to Liverpool for immersion.
Slough Mitra Mandal – Slough:
The celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi festival at Slough Mitra Mandala lasts for 11 days. A number of events for kids are organised at Slough, with several attractive activities like 3D Ganesh competition. Delicacies are served to the devotees every day as Mahaprasad and the immersion of idol is done on the 11th day.
Other than these places, Ganesh Chaturthi festival is celebrated in many other areas of UK such as Manchester, Leicester and Birmingham Cardiff. In some places, the celebrations are arranged by some specific Indian communities, whereas it is organized by some prominent Hindu temples in other regions.