The common thread which binds Malleshwaram,Bengaluru to Mulund,Mumbai to even Michigan,USA is our Hindu deities Parvathi & Shiva’s Son Ganesha.
Every year we gear up with the same love & affection we have for the Lord of Wisdom & we wait for the Bhadrpada month’s Chaturthi.
The home made Kadabu&Vabattu preparation is what binds families with quantity time (I don’t understand the concept of quality time with Family !).The excitement to get the BEST & BIGGER size Ganesha Idol than your neighbour is what childhood memories are about & till date I do the same, old habits die hard ! Of course now we have to be environmentally conscious & bring eco-friendly clay idols too for ease of immersion in nearby lakes.
As a young boy it was my duty to pluck flowers& leaves from various friendly neighbours gardens, alas now it has been replaced with well manicured bouquets, expensive flower arrangements which has to be Instagram & WhatsApp friendly with even the best of Silver Deepas arranged in a synchronised symmetry which is perhaps is a delight of a PT Teacher !But what remains intact is the devotion of Indians & NRIs to celebrate the Birth of Ganesha& the preceding day being the Mother Goddess Parvathi/Gowri.
For some reason the LED electric lights which we use every year doesn’t seem to get switched on just when you need it the most,but then the Lord himself blesses it & miracles do happen on the main day !
The joys of buying new clothes & gifts for the entire family continues to be tradition even today & young boys perhaps sulk when then have to wear the dhoti& sit diligently all through the rituals & pooja –irrespective of it being by a online panditji or your CDs (tape recorders & tapes were long replaced !).Post which the eating the elaborate mouth watering food is a fitting tribute to the Lord Ganesha who himself is fond of good food.
Its always a joy to meet the artisans who make the clay idols in & around your local neighbourhood & appreciate the effort with which they make the idols—aware that at the end of the 1/3/5 days celebrations (or in cities like Mumbai -where the Anant Chaturdashi becomes the day of visarjan),their work of art &hardwork finally gets immersed –which also is a symbolic meaning of the circle of life to every being born on earth.And I believe that we should NOT bargain too much with the idol makers & price haggling is a No No in today’s difficult times,its ideal we unite & help each other by giving some business—that is what will be the true meaning of Vigneshvara –the one who will take your difficulty away.
The Kannada Press team wishes all its readers a Very Happy Gowri &Ganesha Festival !
No doubt joy of celebrating the Ganesha festival is always memorable each year.
Mr. Vinay Rao has taken the readers down the memory lane who have grown in the same environment with delicious kadabbu and vabbattu as the main traditional dishes. Yes I fully agree and support him for us to not bargain with idol maker and even vendors who are selling flowers and other puja items as they are the one who have been hit hard in last one year due to devastating pandemic. Let us share our resources and joy with all section of society. Good article by Mr.Vinay Rao
Very nice article.