CANTON, MICHIGAN, USA, September 20, 2005: There’s no more difficult time to be far from home than during the holidays. To bring at least one holiday closer to home, the Hindu Temple in Canton organized its first celebration of Lord Ganesh Puja. The Hindu religion recognizes Lord Ganesha as the God of wisdom, and worships him before starting any important task or event. Though the celebration is common in India, temples in southeast Michigan haven’t hosted such events. The response was overwhelming, according to temple president Shri Sureshji. “This was the first time the temple hosted such an event, and I think we did great,” he said, adding that it’s the kind of event Hindus have had to miss, being so far from their mother country. He said there is a need to have more of such events. About 450 people attended the family event, which was designed to appeal to the children in the community, according to Sureshji. Children were engrossed in the presentation which told a fascinating story about the birth of Lord Ganesha and enlightened them by telling the facts about the form of Lord Ganesha, which embodies wisdom and power, he said. After worship, children offered fruits to Lord Ganesha.
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