The 10-day Ganesh festival began on Saturday in the coastal state of Goa amid religious fervour and enthusiasm, with most Hindu families bringing home idols of the elephant-headed god.

Families in the coastal state welcomed their beloved Lord Ganesh amid various rituals before installing the idols of the deity of wisdom and knowledge at their places.

Ganesh Chaturthi marks the beginning of the festival.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant held a puja at his private residence at Kothambi, Pale village, in his constituency of Sankhali in North Goa.

In a message released after performing the puja, Sawant prayed that Lord Ganesh would give wisdom and prosperity to everyone in the state. He appealed to people to celebrate the festival with utmost sensitivity towards the state’s ecology.

“Let’s celebrate an eco-friendly Ganesh festival,” he said.

Many Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav mandals across the state have set up huge, attractive pandals with elaborate decorations to house big idols.

While households immerse their idols of the deity in nearby waterbodies after two days, five days, seven days or eleven days, the Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav at public places continues for a longer time.

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