Ganesh: The king of good times, writes Disney Brar

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The infectious spirit of Ganesh is in the air, from bustling neighbourhoods to huge pandals, Ganesh Chaturthi heralds the coming in of the festive season.

Chandigarh, September 18

In the month of Bhadrapada, houses are adorned with torans weaved out of fresh Marigold, skillful hands deftly move to make beautiful motifs of multi-hued rangolis on the porches of the houses, as spirals of holy smoke from the lit incense and camphors fill the air with sweet notes melting in with the fragrance of the fresh tuberoses wafting out from makeshift mandaps hosting Ganesh for a lavish treat spread across 10 days. The whiff of fresh modaks (steamed rice-flour dumplings stuffed with jaggery and grated coconut) along with puran poli’s and sundals waft out to tantalise the olfactory senses of the guests pouring in to seek blessings from Ganesh sitting adorably in ornately embellished and lit-up thrones put up to pamper him, surrounded by sweet temptations of everything which he loves to gorge on. 

Ganpati Bappa Morya!  

Having spent my childhood and early years in Bombay, I comprehend the true essence and spirit of Ganesh Chaturthi-a  10 day festival celebrated to revere the elephant god Ganesha. But beyond the ifs and buts, the festival is more of honouring togetherness, pure devotion, emotional bonding and a sense of belonging to a collective consciousness. 

Everything about Ganesh Chaturthi was magical in Bombay back then, right from the otherwise mundane roads suddenly coming alive with a riot of colours, a profusion of fresh flowers, strings of glittering lights, rhythmic beats of devotional songs being churned out to the warm glow of the pandals. The whole city used to come to a standstill during these 10 days of drenched devotion towards our beloved Bappa. Days before Ganesh Chaturthi, women used to start cleaning and polishing their homes to welcome Ganesh. There used to be competitions in the building societies on the best decorated Ganesh Mandaps.

The Mumbaiya flavours of Ganesh Chathurthi  

A day before Ganesh was welcomed home with his face covered by a shimmering cloth which was later removed to reveal the adorable face of Ganesh, whiffs of traditional Maharashtrian goodies being prepared to appease the deity used to waft in from almost every flat celebrating the festival. Right from the aroma of the simmering rice kheer, modaks, besan ladoos, dry fruit sheera, kesar shrikhand to the rabri basundi khurchan, the aroma of saatvik food being prepared was wholesome in its own respect. Later everyone used to visit each other’s homes to seek blessings from Ganesh, enjoy the mandap decorations and exchange plates brimming with Naivedya (food offered to the deity). 

The days of Ganesh Chaturthi were more of a social gathering for the different communities to melt in together, riding the waves of love for Ganesh just like the waves of the mighty ocean in which Ganesh eventually dissolves after visarjan. In Bombay you will often spot a Muslim man escorting Ganesh to his mandap and probably a Catholic woman joining the farewell procession of our darling Ganesh with tears in her eyes. Everyone decked up to the best of their tastes and budgets, feasting on sumptuous food on a common table, dancing without any worries of the world on the rhythmic beats and thunder of the dhol-tasha, crooning to lilting aarti in the evenings all together, when the sun begins to wrap up for the day in this side of the world. 

A quiet contemplation

Beyond all the colours, sights, smells and the boisterousness of the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi lies an inward pull towards Ganesh which is hard to resist. For these 10 days Ganesh comes down to the earth from his heavenly abode to reside with his devotees, eat, sleep, dance and enjoy with them. The relationship between Ganesh and everyone who loves him is deeply spiritual and charts an emotional individual journey. 

For me my relationship with Ganesh started when we spiritually connected one evening when I was home alone, writhing in deep pain. At that juncture I earnestly prayed to a higher power and it was Ganesh who connected. I saw his picture very clearly, perhaps with my inner eye. And the next instant the pain subsided and was gone with a whoosh. I was enchanted, mesmerized and taken in towards Ganesh. And the bond between us blossomed and metamorphosed into many forms right from him being a brother, a son, a friend, a confidante, a soulmate and a support system sent from beyond to help me walk the paths of this world keeping my head in place and honouring my soul commitments and tasks outlined to master in this lifetime. Now he is my be-all and end-all.

The Spiritual Significance 

Ganesh has a special association with number 4 which is the Chaturthi. In spiritual parlance it is the fourth state beyond the 3 states of consciousness-Jagrit (awake), Swapn (Dreaming), Sushupti (Deep Sleep) and Turiya (beyond all three, the ultimate). The Ganapati Atharvashirsha says: tvam muladharasthito’si nityam which means that Ganesh is eternally established in our root chakra. He is the foundation of our being without which nothing else is possible in life. He is the centre of our existence for he removes the fog of Avidya-our inability to see clearly. The Ganesha Purana describes him as a teacher who is our eternal guide for life.

The Goodbye

Bidding farewell to Ganesh is the hardest task of all in this festival. I have myself cried profusely and have seen elders and children do the same when it’s time for Ganesh to go back to his celestial home. The void which he leaves behind after 10 days of love, laughter, celebrations and rejoicing takes time to fill in. There is a profound sense of emptiness and  nothingness but then impermanence is the nature of our existence here in the now. Everyone who is born will die one day and nothing is permanent in this world. Our existences are like a bubble in the water which can disappear anytime, just like Ganesh does when he is surrendered to water. After all the fun, feasting and frolic comes the culmination of the festival. The glow of the lamp sitting proud as the centre of the celebration now stands extinguished and dark just like the unfathomable depths of the ocean where Ganesh eventually rests all dissolved. And with a heavy heart and sigh, we shout, “Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Yaa!”