Kapoors bid adieu to Ganapati idol, await next year

Mumbai bid adieu to the elephant-headed God, Ganapati after a ten-day festival that had become a twelve-day festival this year around. On Thursday, September 3 was Anant-chaturdashi, the final day of Ganeshotsav or the Ganapati festival.

The day’s proceedings in Mumbai saw one of the most popular families in Bollywood bring the festival to a conclusion on its last day. The famous Kapoor khandaan of Bollywood bid farewell to the Lord’s idol and took it in a procession for immersion, also called as visarjan.

The members of Kapoor family assembled at the famous landmark of Mumbai, the RK Studios in Chembur.

Like every year, sons of the legendary Raj Kapoor – Randhir, Rajiv and Rishi Kapoor conducted a grand puja. It has been a tradition started by Raj Kapoor. This year the family was joined by the youngest star in the Kapoor khandaan – Ranbir Kapoor.

"Every year we have been doing this tradition and I hope we continue this in the coming generations," said Bollywood’s latest hearththrob Ranbir Kapoor.

"It’s special festival for all of us. It is the Ganesh utsav which we’ve been celebrating for 57 years now. It’s a tradition with RK studios and Chembur. And Chemburkars are very proud of the fact. They swarm the roads to see Ganapatiji coming and this is the love for God," said yesteryear’s’ hero Rishi Kapoor.

Brother Randhir Kapoor toed the line. "I used to enjoy this even more when I was a young boy. Then, it was different. This very space where Ganpatiji’s idol is now, used to have a big stage and a big cinema screen put and there were movies shown everyday. If not movies, there would be plays, dramas and variety entertainment shows," Randhir reminsced.

The youngest of Raj Kapoor’s sons, Rajiv Kapoor who was once an actor and is now a filmmaker added his memories to the talk.

"One waits for the festival to start, one waits for Ganapati Bappa to come and the beautiful moments you share with your family, the people, the crowds. The aarti’s we sing here everyday, twice a day are amazing. We seek blessings, the beautiful blessings we get from everyone. It’s absolutely euphoric and I love it. We all love it!"

The Kapoors may love it themselves and add to that the heritage value an average Mumbaikar pins on the Ganapati at R K Studios. It has become an inseparable part of being a Kapoor in Mumbai.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/kapoors-bid-adieu-to-ganapati-idol-await-next-year/100695-8.html