Mumbai, September 2: On the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Mumbai's famous Shree Siddhivinayak Ganpati Temple on Monday. According to a tweet by ANI, the Home Minister arrived at the temple during the early hours on Monday and offered prayers on the occasion of Ganeshotsav. The famous Siddhivinayak temple has a small mandap with the shrine for Siddhi Vinayak ("Ganesha who grants your wish"). Ganesh Chaturthi 2019: From Vinayaka to Shri Vighneshwaraya, Check All 108 Names of Lord Ganesha.

Earlier in the day, Shah welcomed by party leaders and workers, after his arrival at the Mumbai airport. The Home Minister is scheduled to visit Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple and Lalbaug later today.  Devotees thronged to Lord Ganesha temples across the city on the holy occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi.

Here's the tweet:

 

In 2019, the auspicious festival begins on September 2. The 10-day log festivity will end on Anant Chaturdashi, which falls on September 12. Ganesh Chaturthi also known as Ganeshotsav or Ganesh Utsav is celebrated with great fanfare in Maharashtra. It’s a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Ganesha. It falls in the months of August or September of the Gregorian calendar. The festival is marked with the installation of Ganesha clay idols privately in homes, or publicly on elaborate pandals.

In Mumbai alone, around 150,000 statues are immersed annually. Apart from Maharashtra, Ganesh Chaturthi is observed throughout India, especially in the states such as Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh and in Tamil Nadu.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 02, 2019 12:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).