One of the most prominent festivals in the Hindu tradition concluded after a multi-day celebration in Aurora.
Thousands of Indian Americans from Aurora, and throughout the western Chicago suburbs, gathered in an open-air tent in the State’s second-largest city to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, which honors the birth of Lord Ganesh, son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, and his prominence as the ‘Remover of Obstacles’ and ‘Lord of New Beginnings’. It is believed that devotees who pray to Ganesh are able to fulfill their wishes and desires.
Lord Ganesh is depicted as a human with an elephant’s head, and the celebration centers around a large alter where devotees pray and provide offerings.
Beginning Friday, Sept. 10, the festival provided an opportunity for fellowship and the gathering of family and friends to eat and dance. The Aurora celebration featured many youth performances and a proclamation issued by mayor Richard Irvin honoring the holiday in Aurora, the first of any suburb to do so. Devotees will continue to celebrate the festival at home for a full 10 ends, ending Tuesday, Sept. 21.
The festival was presented by a local non-profit, Fox Valley Ganesh Utsav Samithi, which began six years ago with just a handful of people celebrating privately.
For local devotees, this year is particularly significant for the ‘removal of obstacles’ as it is the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, and for the first time, an Indian American was elected to the Aurora City Council. Alderwoman Shweta Baid was in attendance and brought well-wishes to the crowd.
Indian Americans are one of the fastest-growing communities in Aurora, which was ranked this year as the 14th most diverse city in the United States of America.
—Clayton A. Muhammad, Chief Communications Officer, Chief Equity Officer, City of Aurora government