Ganpati had come and gone. And Navratri is almost on us .
But so much water has flown that I didn’t have time to finish this post that I had began almost a month ago.
As is our family tradition, Anna Shetty brought her family over for the puja followed by breakfast.
As always, the highlight were the steamed ‘modaks’, a delicious sweet coconut stuffed pastry that is Lord Ganesh’s favourite. Needless to say, it is also a favourite of Wow Dinga who can demolish at least four at a time. Because he relishes them so, I always make it a point to make them even though it can be quite a fiddle to get it just right.
This time round, I thought I had it all pat since I had laid the table the night before going to sleep. I’d also made the ‘modaks’ both regular and sugar free this time, to avoid the last minute scramble. I had also requested Prima Donna to lead the prayers and had enlisted Ms. Papaya’s help in the decorations.
A non-traditional Ganesh
Unlike most families that have a Ganesh coming home for generations, our Ganesh is actually just a few decades old, probably only 40 years old. My Mother-in-law never had one at home because her mother-in-law never had one. And in any case, if there was a traditional family Ganesh, it would have been carried forward by the eldest son. Initially, I was was a bit disappointed that we didn’t have it seemed that we were destined to have one. Because, coincidentally, someone gifted us a tiny Ganesh idol.
So while the girls were little, we brought out the little Ganesh, did our puja and ate our modaks before we immersing him in our little bucket and keeping him away till the following year.
This was our little tradition, one that I try to keep going despite the children getting bigger and people finding it more and more difficult to keep time for daily prayers.
When Ganesh comes home, one is supposed to keep him company, but every year, this festival which is supposed to be a quiet, private family celebration has become more and more elaborate with elaborate decorations, food and invitations! So naturally, everyone goes Ganesh Puja hopping and our little idol waits forlornly for the rest of the house to gather for the evening puja.
The early bird did not catch the worm
Unfortunately, all my smartness came to nought.
Because I had made the modaks the night before and refrigerated them , the rice flour pastry turned hard and chewy! Worse still my menu of thalipeeth and Indori Pohe were not appreciated. What a pity.
But I learnt one lesson: never try to beat the system. You will always lose.
The Community Ganesh Celebration
So how did a family celebration become the one big song and dance it has become today ?
Well, you can blame it on the British !
During colonial rule, the British had outlawed large gatherings except for religious purposes. Taking advantage of this, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a wily lawyer and revolutionary, decided to have a community Ganesh so that the entire neighbourhood could gather for prayer. Apart from the prayers, there were cultural activities too with people putting up skits, organising singing competitions and even inviting spiritual leaders to give a talk.
It was Bhausaheb Laxman Jawale ( alias Bhausaheb Rangari) who along with his friend Balasaheb Natu decided to hold a community Ganpati at Jawale’s house which served as the safe house for all the revolutionaries to meet.
Unlike other Ganesh’s, this idol had a fierce expression while he pinned down a demon with his trunk and one hand, ready to kill him with a trident held aloft in the other. It was no secret that the monster represented the British Empire.
Taking inspiration from this celebration, Tilak brought this tradition to Bombay and from the small tenements of Girgaon, it slowly spread to every neighbourhood.
Larger than life
Today the Ganesh idols are huge. Corporates and politicians vie with one another to sponsor neighbourhood Ganpati celebrations. The idols are getting larger and the processions noisier and more rowdy.
Finally, this year a handful of women in my neighbourhood were successful in asking a prominent family from spilling out on the roads leading to their house .
Well, with Ganpati over I hope Dussehra and Diwali are calmer .
Ciao
