In Maharashtra, the Maghi Ganesh festival is starting today and will continue till 11 February. Maghi Ganesh Jayanti, or Magh Vinayak Chaturthi, is the celebration of the birth of Lord Ganesh. The day is celebrated annually on the Chaturthi Tithi of the Shukla Paksha in the Hindu lunar month of Magh.
Devotees are visiting various temples across the state on this occasion. In Mumbai, special aartis are being performed at various temples, including the famous Siddhivinayak temple in the city.
The Bombay High Court has passed an interim order upholding the ban on the making and immersion of Plaster of Paris (POP) idols before the festival. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has banned the use of POP for making such idols, citing that the immersion of POP idols causes irreversible pollution to water bodies.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Bharati Dangre has directed local authorities in Maharashtra to enforce the guidelines issued by the CPCB to prohibit the use of POP idols.