Ganesha Chaturthi is the main grand public religious festival at the Spiritual Park of Mauritius. Sishyas were at the Park on two days before to complete final preparations for the grand Ganesha Chaturthi celebration. karma yogis attended to several works like cleaning rock walls and pathways with water pressure, decorating with tombai and tornums hangings, polishing puja brass items and decorating the large granite Pancha Mukha Ganapati murti. Here is the murti just newly dressed.

One new development inside the Mandapam was the fixing of new stainless steel railings. Two of these run at the back of the murti.

The railings will help control the huge flow of devotees coming inside the Mandapam for darshan when the final arati is over during our monthly Ganesha Homa.

Another shot of Lord Pancha Mukha Ganapati with freshly applied chandanam and kumkum.

A last shot of the murti in the quiet late evening when karma yogis are going back home. All decorations have been completed by now. Everyone would be having a busy time the following day.

Here we are in the early morning of Sunday 12, Ganesha Chaturthi public holiday in Mauritius. Lord Ganesha shining in the rays of the rising sun over the ocean greets and blesses all those coming to the Park.

Most of our Church members and MC students are already at the Park early morning. The ceremony conducted by two hired sivacharyas starts with an arati at the Siva Dakshina murti shrine.

Traditional music from the Tavil and Nadeswaran pervades the whole atmosphere….inspiring devotion and happiness in everyone's heart. We estimate that 5,000 people came for the main event and a total of 7,000-8,000 came throughout the day.

Back to the Ganesha Mandapam, where the first rituals starts…

A devotee made some beautiful coconut hangings for the Park reminding us of the festive olden days in temples of India.

One of the Ganesha murtis brought for visarjana, the immersion ceremony later… We are posting more photos of the festival on next TAKA.