Check out p.s. Im vacationing in Sri Lanka!! Back on Sunday. Sri Lanka stories coming up soon.. :)
Friday, September 19, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Not just idol worship
Today (Anant Chaturdashi), marks the end of yet another celebration of worship of the Elephant God, Lord Ganesha. We just finished visarjan and there's such a vaccum inside, it feels like a part of my family has gone away. But of course as Virat puts it, "He'll be back in 52 weeks!!!"
Blaring loudspeakers, beautifully lit up streets, looong darshan lines, crowded flower markets, overflowing sweet shops, and above all ecstatic devotees fill the city to announce the much awaited festival of Ganapati … 10 days where Lord Ganesha steps out of our hearts and into the murthi so we can do for him what he does for us (puja).
Interestingly, this time's murthi chose me instead of me choosing Him. A couple of weeks back, when I walked into the Chinchpokli workshop (where most of Mumbai’s bigger Ganesh idols are sculpted), I was thinking “Gaawd, which left over murthi will we have to make do with this time” (we had procrastinated over this for quite long). I asked the attendee to show me all the idols that were available. It was almost freaky when he said, "just one". I looked to where he was pointing and there was the most adorable Ganesha in the whole workshop looking up as if He was ready to be taken! For the first time dad and me agreed upon something in the first shot (the other times, one of us would have to compromise - usually it would be dad :) and we jumped (not literally) to grab Him!!! Here’s what Ganu looked like this year…
It’s hard to believe 10 days are already over! I must admit though I did not spend enough time with Him this year and I don’t feel so great about it. But the time I did spend, I spent gazing at his innocent form and loving presence.
Blaring loudspeakers, beautifully lit up streets, looong darshan lines, crowded flower markets, overflowing sweet shops, and above all ecstatic devotees fill the city to announce the much awaited festival of Ganapati … 10 days where Lord Ganesha steps out of our hearts and into the murthi so we can do for him what he does for us (puja).
Interestingly, this time's murthi chose me instead of me choosing Him. A couple of weeks back, when I walked into the Chinchpokli workshop (where most of Mumbai’s bigger Ganesh idols are sculpted), I was thinking “Gaawd, which left over murthi will we have to make do with this time” (we had procrastinated over this for quite long). I asked the attendee to show me all the idols that were available. It was almost freaky when he said, "just one". I looked to where he was pointing and there was the most adorable Ganesha in the whole workshop looking up as if He was ready to be taken! For the first time dad and me agreed upon something in the first shot (the other times, one of us would have to compromise - usually it would be dad :) and we jumped (not literally) to grab Him!!! Here’s what Ganu looked like this year…
It’s hard to believe 10 days are already over! I must admit though I did not spend enough time with Him this year and I don’t feel so great about it. But the time I did spend, I spent gazing at his innocent form and loving presence. Letting him go was a rather teary affair (for mom at least, I wept in my heart). But there is a certain beauty in letting go, which is why we celebrate it so much (you should have seen the euphoria on the streets as zillions of idols made their way towards the sea) The atmosphere was electrifying and I felt proud to be the little drop that I was in the ocean on Ganesh Bhakts that were gathered on the streets yelling slogans of “Ganapati Bappa Morya; Pudcha Varshi Lavkar Ya”!!! Some really cute kids were also shouting “Undir Mama Ki Jai” :)) (I know, very cute!!) There were emotions of love, joy and sorrow all at the same time.
Well, what can I say to capture these awesome moments!! Enjoy the pictures and imagine them yourself :)
Ganapati Bappa Morya!
Pudcha Varshi Lavkar Ya!!!
Ganapati Gele Gavala, 
PAUSE ( I had to put this one up. It's just so cute!)
Chain Pade Na Amhaala!!
Jai Gurudev!
love Pooja
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