Actress Chahatt Khanna welcomed Ganpati Bappa into her home with great devotion and joy. The actress, who has been celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi at her residence for the past four years, shared insights into her rituals, family traditions, her daughter’s excitement, and even her rumoured beau Rohan Gandotra’s involvement in the festivities.
Talking about how the tradition began in her home, Chahatt told The Free Press Journal exclusively, “It’s been four years since we started bringing Ganpati Ji home. I always wanted to have Ganpati Ji at my place, but my parents kept saying no. In our family, Ganpati has been coming for 48 years, hosted by my father’s elder brother. After my mother passed away, I decided to finally bring Ganpati home. My father was very adamant that we should not separate Ganpati from our family, but four years ago, I put my foot down and decided that this was something I wanted to do.”
Her daughter, too, shares her enthusiasm for the festival. Chahatt said, “My daughter absolutely loves Ganpati. Every year, she eagerly waits for Bappa to come home because she knows her friends will visit, there will be playdates, and the house will be full of joy. Usually, it feels like a three-day festival party at home, though this year it was slightly more peaceful.”
This year, the actress welcomed Ganpati in the Gajanand roop. Explaining her choice, she shared, “Our Ganpati Bappa is in Gajanand roop, which is the elephant form where Haldi is applied on the elephant’s face. I wanted to bring this form because of the animal cruelty happening around us. After seeing the heartbreaking case of Madhuri from Kolhapur and the recent incidents involving stray dogs, I felt I should dedicate this year’s Ganpati to all the voiceless souls suffering because of us. Every year, we bring a red idol based on Dagdusheth, but this time we chose differently.”
Interestingly, Chahatt also revealed that she started bringing Ganpati Ji home along with her rumoured boyfriend, actor Rohan Gandotra. Confirming his involvement, Chahatt said, “Actually, Rohan and I decided to bring Ganpati together. I had been wanting to do it for years, but there are so many rituals and rules in the Ganpati puja that my father discouraged me earlier. It’s not easy for everyone to follow. But with Rohan, we were able to make it happen.”