Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 14 (ANI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday extended greetings on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi and prayed to Lord Ganesha for the removal of obstacles and challenges faced by the country, state, citizens and farmers.

Fadnavis and his wife, Amruta Fadnavis, welcomed Lord Ganesha at their official residence, 'Varsha'.

Speaking to the media, CM Fadnavis said, 'My best wishes to all devotees of Lord Ganesha across the world on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi and the Ganesh festival. I pray to Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, to take away everyone's suffering and remove all obstacles," Fadnavis said. 

'I pray that the remover of obstacles blesses us with the ability, strength and power to overcome all the challenges facing our country, our state, our citizens and our farmers,' he added.

The wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister, Amruta Fadnavis, said that Lord Ganesha has been welcomed across Maharashtra with great enthusiasm as the state celebrates the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi.

'I am happy; today Bappa has arrived in the whole of Maharashtra and the country. People have welcomed him with a lot of enthusiasm; you can see at our home, we have installed the idol. The whole of Maharashtra will be celebrating over the next ten days," she told reporters.

The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, celebrating the birth of Lord Ganesha, is being marked across Maharashtra and the country with morning aartis, cultural troupes, and vibrant processions welcoming the deity into homes and pandals. 

In Mumbai, the traditional epicentre of the 10-day extravaganza, a sea of devotees converged at the famed Lalbaugcha Raja pandal to catch a glimpse and seek the blessings of the deity amid spirited chants of 'Ganpati Bappa Morya'.

In Nagpur, Mangal Aarti was performed at the Shri Ganesh Mandir Tekdi on the occasion. (ANI)