Mumbai: Global envoys soak in sights and sounds of Ganeshotsav

Mumbai, Sep 2 (IANS) In a unique initiative of the Maharashtra Tourism Ministry, a group of 10 envoys in Mumbai were taken on a tour of the Ganeshotsav festival currently in full swing in Maharashtra, officials said here on Friday.

Tourism Minister M.P. Lodha and Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation Managing Director Jayshree Bhoj welcomed the diplomats, briefed them on the state's biggest public festival and later took them around on an introductory trip to various prominent marquees.

The diplomats included Israel's Kobbi Shoshani, Switzerland's Martin Mayer, Argentina's Guillermo Devoto, Belarus' Anton Pashkov, Australia's Peter Truswell, Poland's Damian Irzyk, Sri Lanka's V. Kumaran Valsan, Indonesia's Agus Prihatin Saptono, Switzerland's Martin Mayer and British Deputy High Commission's Catherine Barnes.

Lodha welcomed them in traditional Indian style at the Ganesh Gully in Lalbaugh and introduced them to the glorious traditions of Maharashtra's Ganeshotsav public festival, now in its 130th year.

"The aim is to make Ganeshotsav known to people all over the world through the diplomatic representatives and we hope that this cultural, social and religious festival will become internationally popular," remarked Lodha.

The diplomats visited the gigantic idols of Lord Ganesh installed at Lalbaugh including the Lalbaugcha Raja, the country's most expensive GSB Seva Mandal at Matunga, the oldest Keshavji Naik Chawl where the festival is celebrated since 1893, among others.

After the exhilarating trip viewing the sights, sounds, colours of Ganeshotsav, the massive crowds of devotees thronging many of the marquee, many of the envoys came away awed and impressed, lavished praises for the festivities and how it turned out to "a wonderful and enlightening experience".