The festive season has begun and a cheer of Ganpati Bappa Morya has gone up on social media, led by several Bollywood celebrities. Ganesh Chaturthi, the 11-day long festival, began on Monday and stars such as Salman Khan, Sonali Bendre, Sonam Kapoor, Dia Mirza, Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Vivek Oberoi and several others wished their fans peace and prosperity on social media. Sonali Bendre shared a picture of herself with a Ganesha idol and wrote: "Ganesh Chaturthi is one of my favourite festivals and I really missed celebrating it at home last year... Was part of the Aarti via FaceTime! I'm so glad to be back this year, healthier and stronger, celebrating with my family."
She added: "I truly believe if there's faith, it reflects more on the inside... In the dialogue between you and your God... So don't lose that essence. Once again, we've taken the route of bringing an eco-friendly Ganesha and we'll also immerse the Lord in our home. May this Ganesh Chaturthi bring health, happiness and new beginnings to everyone and may we all have the strength to overcome the obstacles that come our way." Sonali Bendre was diagnosed with cancer last year. She had undergone treatment for cancer in New York last year.
Going simple with his wishes, Anil Kapoor tweeted: "Shree vakratunda mahakaya suryakoti samaprabha nirvighnam kuru me deva sarva-kaaryeshu sarvada. May Lord Ganesha bless you with all the health, happiness and success. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!"
Salman Khan and Malaika Arora also wished their fans on Instagram:
Actress Sonam Kapoor shared a picture of herself with a Ganesha idol in the background and wrote: "We have a tradition of celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi with the entire family and friends. Wishing each and every one of you a very Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!"
Wishing his fans, Akshay Kumar tweeted: "May Lord Ganesha remove all obstacles from your life. Wishing you and your family a very #HappyGaneshChaturthi" while Arjun Kapoor posted a video of himself, in which he can be heard talking about how Ganesh Chaturthi was very close to his mother's heart. He also urged his fans to prefer eco-friendly Ganesha idol this year.
Vivek Oberoi shared a photo of himself holding a Ganesha idol and tweeted: "My favourite time of the year! Welcoming Ganpati Bappa home! May Bappa shower his blessings on each one of us. Wish you all a very happy and eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi! Let's all do our bit for protecting our environment. Go green and say no to plastic! Ganpati Bappa Morya."
And, here's how other celebrities wished their fans on Ganesh Chaturthi:
The birth anniversary of Lord Ganesha is celebrated on Ganesh Chaturthi , also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Ganesh Chauth. The festivities begin on Ganesh Chaturthi and end after 11 days on Anant Chaturdashi, when devotees immerse idol of Lord Ganesha in a water body close by.