GUWAHATI, Sept 5 - People today came out in large numbers to offer prayers on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, with all the temples dedicated to Lord Ganesha witnessing thousands of footfalls of devotees since the morning hours.
The temples decked up for the auspicious occasion attracted devotees of all age groups, who sought the blessings of the Lord for a better life.
People thronged the popular Ganesh temples at Ganeshguri, Latasil and other places.
According to Gopal Bajaj, adviser of the Sri Ganesh Janmotsav Samity of Ganeshguri Ganesh Mandir, citizens of Guwahati have been showing growing interest in celebrating this festival.
It needs to be mentioned that around 15 thousand thalis of prasad were distributed today by the Sri Ganesh Janmotsav Samity. Apart from the mandatory rituals, the Samity also arranged for bhajan kirtan and other programmes.
�The cities have increasingly embraced different cultures, festivals and rituals, which is a positive sign, signalling that we are moving towards building a united nation,� said Bajaj, adding that this auspicious festival has built the bridge of unity and amity amongst different communities.
The religious fervour, however, added to the congested traffic condition in the capital city. Traffic snarls, a regular feature in the city, got worse today with office-goers in particular facing a lot of inconvenience.
The day, however, brought smiles in the faces of the vendors selling flowers and other paraphernalia required for observing the rituals.
This marginalised section did brisk business today in front of all the temples and had a more genuine reason to thank the Lord.
