Bhubaneswar: The festive season is set to kick-start with Ganesh Chaturthi on Thursday as puja committees in the twin cities scamper to put finishing touches to the pandals.

To celebrate the puja in a unique way, Saheed Club Mandap has installed a "Sahasramukhi Ganesh" idol to bless the devotees. This idol will stand on a podium of 35 elephants. The body of the statue has been made with white sesame and red lentil. Cultural programmes will also be hosted on September 13 and 14. Club president Biswaranjan Ray said: "This year, we installed the idol with clay from the Ganga and made arrangements for 10,000 people to get prasad."

More than 500 puja committees across the cities are celebrating the festival. Winner Association at Saheed Nagar has decked up their pandal with a 45ft Ganesh idol made of clay.

L. Eswar Rao of Jatni village in Khurda district has found a unique and eco-friendly way to celebrate the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.

Among millions of gigantic idols of the elephant- God, Rao's miniature idols of the Lord, created using soap, battery cells and pencil nibs, have garnered appreciation.

Apart from creative pandals, puja committees will also host a number of activities. Fairs have also come up in various locations.

The festival has come as a boon for idol makers across the state. Over the past two weeks, a number of customised idols were in demand among buyers, especially college students and IT professionals.

Police has also beefed up security in both the cities. The enthusiasm for the festival is equally high in other parts of the state such as Puri, Berhampur, Rourkela, Sambalpur and Paradip. Towns have been lit up while pandals based on a range of themes have been come up.

The market is flooded with accessories such as necklaces and bracelets with images of Lord Ganesh. There are also discounts and attractive offers on apparels at various stores.