GML Correspondent
The faithful in Felicity are preparing for what organisers say will be the largest Ganesh Utsav celebration in the 19-year history of the Felicity Ganesh Utsav Festivals Committee (FGUFC), with this year’s 12-foot murti of Lord Ganesh already in place at the organisation’s headquarters.
On Monday, September 14, the massive clay murti was transported from the home of renowned murti maker Dhaniram Sankar, a highly distinguished artist, sculptor and master craftsman.
A forklift was used to carefully lift and position the massive murti inside the covered sacred space at the FGUFC headquarters on Cacandee Road, Felicity.
For Ganesh Ragoonanan, president, founder and lifetime devotee of Lord Ganesh, the arrival of the murti signals the beginning of another major chapter in a festival that has become deeply rooted in the cultural and religious life of central Trinidad.
The FGUFC has established itself as the host of one of the country’s most vibrant and longest-running annual Ganesh Utsav celebrations. Over the years, the festival has attracted hundreds of devotees and visitors, combining Hindu religious observances with community participation, music, tassa and colourful street processions.
Ragoonanan said this year’s murti carries a particularly significant story from Hindu mythology.
It depicts Lord Ganesh being taken by Lord Hanuman to battle.
Ragoonanan explained that because Hanuman possessed the ability to fly, he offered his services to Lord Ganesh and carried him to the battlefield.
The elaborate murti, which stands 12 feet tall, was crafted entirely from natural clay.
The use of natural clay is an important part of the festival’s environmental tradition, allowing the murti to dissolve naturally during visarjan, the ceremonial immersion at the conclusion of the celebrations.
The festival formally commences with worship on September 14 and will continue with nightly Ganesh Puran Yagna, religious discourses, puja and aarti.
A number of Hindu scholars and spiritual leaders will lead the nightly observances.
Pundit Avinash Maharaj will conduct the discourse on September 16, followed by Pundit Lutchmidath Persad Maharaj on September 17.
Pundit Ajay Rambally will lead the proceedings on September 18 and 19, while Pundit Abhedanand Persad Sharma will deliver the discourses on September 20 and 21.
The series will conclude with Pundit Narad Gosine, who will lead the discourses from September 22 to 24.
Then, in the early hours of September 25, the festival will reach its traditional climax.
At 5.30 am, devotees will begin pulling the ceremonial chariot carrying the murti through the streets of Felicity in a final procession before making their way to the Cunupia River, where the murti will be immersed.
The procession and immersion represent more than the conclusion of a religious festival.
They are the culmination of months of preparation and a tradition that has grown from a local religious observance into an important part of Felicity’s community and cultural identity.
The celebrations have traditionally received strong support from devotees, corporate sponsors and the wider community, with tassa drumming and other musical contributions adding to the atmosphere.
The organisation has also received official recognition from the Chaguanas Borough Corporation for its contribution to community life.
