When Salman Khan’s home turns Lord Ganesha’s abode…

Zeenews Bureau

Mumbai: We all know for a fact that Hindi cinema’s very own hunk Salman Khan is secular to the core. The actor has had a cosmopolitan upbringing as his parents belong to different faiths- his father Salim Khan (Muslim), his mother now Salma (earlier Sushila Charak, a Hindu) and step mother Helen, a Catholic. The actor’s family that resides in Galaxy apartments in Bandra, Mumbai has been celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi with utmost devotion since the last 11 years. It was his younger sister Arpita, who initiated Ganpati Puja at their abode and the rest of the family joins her in the festivity. Talking to a daily, Mummy Khan said, “She (Arpita) was very keen and took it upon herself to organise every detail of the festival. As she promised, she has been organising it single-handedly every year since then.” Going down the memory lane, Salma said, “In the evenings, I would dress up the kids and go to my mother’s house so the children could celebrate with our neighbours there.” Salman’s sisters Alvira and Arpita are ardent followers of the elephant headed god and often walk barefoot to the Siddhivinayak temple to pay their obeisance. Salman has taken a couple of days off from his busy shooting schedule to celebrate Ganpati with his family. Talking about his upbringing amidst various faiths, Salman said, “I feel blessed to be born and brought up in a house that respects every religion.”