Ganesha Chaturthi was celebrated with pomp and fervour across the state on Monday, as people flocked temples and installed idols with grandeur.

A temple in Bengaluru has been decorated with currency notes and coins worth nearly ₹3 crore. The Sri Sathya Ganapathy Temple in Bengaluru’s JP Nagar has been known for their unique way of decorating the temple during Ganesh Puja festivities every year.

This time they decorated the temple using hundreds of coins and currency notes ranging from ₹10, ₹20, ₹50 to ₹ 500 denominations. The temple used currency notes worth ₹2.18 crore and coins worth ₹70 lakh for decoration.

A team of 150 individuals spent a month, meticulously executing the elaborate decoration, ensuring it was equipped with security measures including CCTV surveillance.

Mohan Raju, one of the trustees of the Trust, expressed his joy at the positive reception this unique display has received. “Every year we celebrate Ganesha Chaturthi in a unique way. Last year also we decorated the temple in a special style. This time, we decorated the whole temple with bunch of Indian currency notes by making garlands and ornaments for lord Ganesha. All are original currency notes. Devotees are coming to have darshan since morning,” he said.

In order to ensure smooth Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations across the state capital, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has set up close to 418 mobile tankers for immersion of Ganesha idols. Another 39 kalyanis at lake beds have been readied to receive idols. The civic body has also established 63 single-window clearance stations to receive and approve permission for Ganesha pandals.

The BBMP has also banned the sale and slaughter of meat today as the city celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi. The BBMP’s animal advisory board has issued the guidelines to all meat shop owners. The civic body has also warned not to collect money from people forcefully for the purpose of celebrations.

The demand for clay idols has also increased with customers opting for eco-friendly options over plaster of paris (PoP) ones in several places. In Bengaluru, the BBMP has imposed a strict ban on the sale and manufacture of idols that are made with PoP, chemical dyes and thermocol.

In Mandya, there has been a huge demand for Ganesha idols made from jaggery, vendors said. The idols range from half-a-feet to 2 feet and are priced between ₹ 500 to ₹2,000. Apart from Mandya, there is also demand for idols made from jaggery in Davanagere, Mysuru, Hassan, Chamarajanagar, Tumakuru and Chikkamagaluru.

“There is a demand for Ganesha idols across the state. We are making as many as possible due to shortage of molds. Last year, we made only 500 idols. This time, we aim to sell 1,500 idols,” president of Mandya jaggery farmers producers company, Karasavadi Mahadeva, said.

In Mysuru, special puja was performed to the nine Dasara elephants camped at the Mysore Palace, on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. The elephants were decorated and fed a variety of foods.

In a display of communal harmony in Belagavi, the Muslim community has postponed Eid Milad to make way for the Ganesh procession. Muslims, along with the Anjuman-e-Islam, has decided to celebrate Eid Milad on October 1, instead of September 28, which coincides with the 10th day of Ganesh Chaturthi procession.

Raju Seth, President of Anjuman-e-Islam and MLA from Belagavi North constituency said, “Eid Milad has been postponed to convey a positive message to the society. We will actively participate in the Ganesh Chaturthi processions and extend invitation to the members of the Hindu community to join our festival.”

Meanwhile, pro-Hindu organisation Hindu Janajagruti Samiti on Monday initiated a campaign, urging members of the Hindu community to boycott Halal products during the festival in Bengaluru. The volunteers of the organisation adopted a door-to-door campaign and also distributed pamphlets.