It is a Hindu festival commemorating the birth of the Hindu God Ganesh. The festival is marked by installation of Ganesh’s clay murtis privately in homes & publicly on elaborate Pandals (temporary stage ). The idea to get together for the festival was brought in & effectively executed by the famous freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
To oppose & bring the people together was the sole aim. Collecting money to buy the idol is almost a ritual. Young people come together & visit houses in the neighbourhood. The evening events planned , be it competitions or cultural events, parents easily give permission to stay out.
For years it has been an yearly event which went on for 10 days. Anant Chaturdashi marks the end of the festival. Immersion of the idols bring in tears. The farewell is hard. He is a family member much loved who leaves a void in the house. The empty house for days then experiences loss.
‘Ganapati Bappa morya, Pudhchya varshi lavkar ya’ the slogan resounds in every household. The festival is found in films with the ‘visarjan’ as in ‘Ankush’ or the ‘miravnuk’ as in ‘Agnipath’. The festival may not be as important as Diwali but has it’s own flavour. The flavour of homemade ‘modaks’ with a stream of pure ghee running.
Modak is a rare delicacy made of grated coconut, freshly cut & super white. Along with jaggery or sugar becomes the ‘saran’ or the filling. The steamed rice flour coating made with delicate hands using water & ghee. A skill mastered by the kokanastha Brahmins. Everywhere else the modaks are fried in oil or ghee. Looks like ‘dumplings’ or ‘momos’, it is steamed .
Besides Diwali one of the most awaited & celebrated festivals. We always say, ‘Ganapati bappa morya, pudhchya varshi lavkar ya’. The immersion of the clay idol on Anant chaturdashi marks the end of the festival. But the void left for days is filled again only next year with Bappa’s arrival!
The auspicious occasion or the start of any new business begins with ganesh puja. Naman to him reaches each & every deity in the world. ‘Ganapati bappa morya’.
Asian Entertainment 