Ganpati Bappa Morya! Pudchya Varshi Laukar Yaa!

The year was 1290 . A crowd had gathered around a clearing, where broken down pillars marked the presence of an ancient temple, now long gone. A young boy, just 14 years old, leaned against one of those pillars, deep in thought. Then, he began speaking, and the crowd fell silent, listening to his every word. He spoke without any notes, translating the Bhagavat Gita, from Sanskrit, which only the pundits knew, to the language everyone in the village knew and spoke – a variety of Prakrit which developed into the Marathi language. Even as he spoke, one of the men in the audience realized how momentous this event was, and how important this composition would be. He began writing down the words the young boy spoke, and this composition was named by its author and composer, the Bhavartha Deepika – the enlightening meaning (of the Bhagavat Gita). Now, the ancient, holy text, was no longer restricted to the pundits, but accessible to all, understood easily by them, composed as it was, in their...

Ganpati Bappa Morya! Pudchya Varshi Laukar Yaa!

Those are the words which resound through the air as we bid goodbye to the Lord. Literally, they would translate to 'Glory to the Lord! Come again soon next year', but to the devotees who bid goodbye to the Lord with these words, it means so much more.

To them, it is the culmination of ten days of festivities, when they left their regular life behind and thought of the Lord morning, noon and night! It was Him they thought of, waking early in the morning, ready to perform the prayers to begin the day..... for ten days, they made only what they believed the Lord loved to eat. For ten days, they sang his glory twice a day, with complete enthusiasm, even if not always in tune! For ten days, they scanned their neighbourhoods for interesting idols of the Lord to see, and even stood in queues for hours just to get a glimpse of their favourite deities. For ten days, they had just one thought in mind - to make the most of the arrival of their Lord. He is, after all, Vighnaharta - the one who would destroy all the obstacles in their path. It was only fair that they took the best possible care of Him while He visited their home. He is the one guest they welcome wholeheartedly into their homes, and look forward to his arrival every year! And even as they get ready for sending him off, they are busy thinking of how they will make his arrival even more special the next year! Which is why they entreat him to return early the next year!

This year, the Lord arrived amidst pouring rains, and he decided to leave amidst pouring rains too! After a couple of dry days, the heavens seem to have opened up just for Him to leave! However, the enthusiasm has not abated.....

We went for a walk in the evening, hoping to catch a glimpse of a few Ganpatis on their way to the sea. The larger ones wouldnt leave until much later, but we hoped to see at least some of the smaller ones, and we weren't disappointed.

The truck to carry the Chedda Nagar Ganpati was just getting ready
... and this was past 5 in the evening!

Near the Chembur station, a group of devotees were desperately trying to get the crackers lit!
Maybe even the Lord was tired of all that noise!!!
But did sending heavy rains help in reducing the noise?
NO!!!!
The crackers went off soon, as did the loudpeakers!

A huge Ganpati was on his way

While the devotees had their umbrellas, the Lord got drenched!

A closer look... see the throne...

Our Chembur Mandi (vegetable market) Ganpati on his way..

Two small Ganpatis await their larger friend for the final journey

A Family pushing a cart with their Ganpati, and talking turns in riding with Him!

Making the most of the journey in spite of the rain!

Running to keep pace!

A lavishly decorated home Ganpati

The drums, which are the most coveted part of the procession

Finally, our Ganpati is on his way, accompanied by half the colony!

The decoration of the truck....
Can you even make out that its a huge truck??

Anna accompanies the Lord!

One final glimpse!

The ten days of the festival are over, and it is now time to get back to our regular lives, before yet another ten day festival begins - yes, in just another 16 days, it will be time for Navaratri! And yes, we are counting the days again!

Gokarna Part II – The Five Lingams

We continued our Gokarna trip by visiting four other Shiva temples in the vicinity, all connected to the same story of Gokarna. The story of Gokarna mentions the Mahabaleshwara Lingam as the one brought from Kailas by Ravana, and kept at this place on the ground by Ganesha. (See my earlier post- Gokarna – Pilgrimage and Pleasure). However, the story does not end here. It is believed that, in his anger, Ravana flung aside the materials which covered the lingam- the casket, its lid, the string around the lingam, and the cloth covering it. All these items became lingams as soon as they touched the ground. These four lingams, along with the main Mahabaleshwara lingam are collectively called the ‘ Panchalingams’ . These are: Mahabaleshwara – the main lingam Sajjeshwar – the casket carrying the lingam. This temple is about 35 Kms from Karwar, and is a 2 hour drive from Gokarna. Dhareshwar – the string covering the lingam. This temple is on NH17, about 45 Kms south of Gokarna. Gunavanteshw...

Review of Executive Lounges at New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS)

During my recent trip to Uttarakhand , I was faced with a problem I had never encountered before. We were passing through Delhi, but we had hardly any time in the city. On earlier visits when I have had to change trains/flights at Delhi, I have always arrived in the morning and left again at night, visiting relatives in between. This time, I was arriving in the city at night, and leaving again early in the morning. There was hardly any time to visit people. I would only have a couple of hours with them before I’d have to leave again. For the first time, we considered booking a hotel, but there again, we were hesitant about the actual hotels, the costs involved, and the logistics of getting from the airport to the railway station and then back again from the station to the airport. That’s when we remembered reading something about a corporate-managed lounge at Delhi station. We soon figured out that we could book online and pay by the hour. Besides, we also learnt that there wasn’...

Rama Temple, Gokarna

To my right , the waves rush to the shore, eager to merge with the sand. To my left, the same waves crash against the rocks, their spray diverting my reverie as I ponder over the beauty of nature, and wonder what first brought people here. Was it this beauty that encouraged them to build a temple here, or was it the fresh, sweet spring water flowing from the hill here that made this place special? No matter what the reason, I am glad my auto driver brought me here. We are at the Rama temple in Gokarna, just a few minutes away from the Mahabaleshwara Temple, yet offering so different a perspective.

ArtiSeptember 11, 2011 at 9:08 PM
Beautiful words Anu. A tearful farewell is given to Him.
And Navratri starts in 15 days, not 18, please check.
Indrani GhoseSeptember 12, 2011 at 8:56 AM
Great coverage Anu!

Yesterday saw a news clipping of a balcony full of people crashing down! :(
UshaSeptember 12, 2011 at 11:52 AM
I love that topi on the truck! Thanks Anu! Was telling S over b'fast this morning about the event Anant Chaturdashi is for every kid in Maharashtra!
Anu ShankarSeptember 12, 2011 at 9:18 PM
Thanks Indrani! yeah,. we saw that too... really sad, that too to happen at such a time :(
Anu ShankarSeptember 12, 2011 at 9:20 PM
i loved that too!! their creativity seemed at a great pitch this year! and we really wished u were there... might have explored a bit more!
Mridula DSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:22 PM
Thanks for the virtual tour Anu.
Anu ShankarSeptember 14, 2011 at 10:15 AM
You are welcome, Mridula!

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