12 September,2023 05:38 PM IST | Mumbai | Soumya Vajpayee Tiwari
Pic- Stills from the songs
It's almost time to welcome Lord Ganesha for the year, but what's a Ganpati aagman without some naach gana? The first day of the Ganpati festivities is marked by serpentine processions on roads, with devotees dancing zealously to eclectic tunes, courtesy banjo and dhol groups.
There are a handful of songs that rent the air during the 11-day celebrations and are expected to play during the aagman as well. "Deva Shree Ganesha (Agneepath; 2011) has topped the list for years. Jab hum log ye gaana bajaate hain, log jhoom ke dance karte hain (When we play this song, devotees dance their hearts out)," says Shailesh Batwal of Mangalmurti Banjo Group from Nerul. "Our group has been playing at the Ganpati festival for close to a decade. The songs have changed over the years, but Mungada Mungada and Bholi Surat Dil Ke Khote have remained all-time favourites," he adds.
Talking about song preferences on Ganesh Utsav, Rakesh Katke of Star Nasik Dhol in Kurla says they are asked to play Punjabi tunes during the visarjan. "People enjoy doing bhangra. Apart from that, we also play Shree Ganeshay Dheemahi during the aarti, among other songs," he says.
Ganesh Chaturthi, or Vinayaka Chaturthi, is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of wisdom, prosperity, and good fortune. The festival typically lasts for 10 days and is widely celebrated in India, especially in the state of Maharashtra.
ALSO READ
This picture book introduces children to the world of Ganpati festival
Ganeshotsav 2024: 5 famous Ganpati pandals one must visit in Mumbai this year
Ganesh Visarjan 2024: 62,569 Lord Ganesha idols immersed till 12 am, says BMC
Ganeshotsav 2024: Artificial pond immersions see increase in Mumbai
Ganeshotsav 2024: 10 lakh travelled to Konkan for Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganpati celebrations are often accompanied by music and dance. In some places, people organise cultural events, including dance performances and music concerts. The festival is highly celebrated by Bollywood stars. For years, superstars like Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Shilpa Shetty have been celebrating the joyous occasion with their families and friends.
TV actors, including Rithvik Dhanjani, Sharad Malhotra, and Tejasswi Prakash, also celebrate the festival in full swing. In one of her interactions with midday.com, Tejasswi shared that the only year she skipped Ganpati was when she was doing 'Khatron Ke Khiladi.' She also opened up and shared that the day she was supposed to land was Visarjan Day. That was the only time in her life she missed Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations at home.