Hyderabad :
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in the city have gone hi-tech, with many pandals having their own virtual spaces on the internet to interact with participating devotees and build their ‘fan base’.
One of the most popular Ganesh pandals, the Khairatabad Ganesh Utsava Samiti, has developed a dedicated online page which has already garnered 1,492 ‘friends’. Images of the 59 feet tall Ganesh idol in its various phases of decoration and videos of the celebration have been uploaded on social networking websites. In addition to their existing website ‘ganapathideva.org’, a social networking page also has details of puja timings and other events to be held during the 10-day celebrations.
“Going virtual was a step to reach out to the tech savvy youth of today and encourage their participation. With details of puja timings, videos and images of celebrations, we have brought the festival to the homes of devotees who may not be able to physically come to the pandal,” said S Sudarshan, organizer of the Khairatabad Ganesh Utsava Samiti.
Members of the Devi Nagar Youth Association have created a blog as well as a special online page called ‘Ganesh mandals in Hyderabad and Secunderabad’ as a platform for devotees. “Through social networking platforms, we have interacted with many people who come to the pandal and have suggestions on making the celebrations and arrangements better. We had many requests urging us to have an eco-friendly idol. We could not make it this year but will possibly attempt it the next year,” said Praveen Kumar Tenugu, member of the association.
Similarly, the website of the Balapur Ganesh Utsava Samitee is loaded with information on the history of the celebrations, event schedule as well as audio and video clips. The Balapur utsav, held at Kanchanbagh, is known for its laddoo auctions, details of which are also updated on the website.
Meanwhile, organizers of Ganesh pandals are also doing their bit for the society. Blood donation camps, distribution of books and clothes to orphanages and old age homes are some of the initiatives that have been taken up. “We had arranged for a day-long medical camp last year, especially for the under-privileged, which received encouraging response. This year too, therefore, we will be slotting one day of the festival to have free medical check-ups,” said Manoj Giri Goswami, secretary of Dashnam Goswami Mandal at Begum Bazaar.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad> Ganesh Chaturthi / by Ananya Banerjee, TNN / September 12th, 2013