Saturday 19 September 2015

Ganpati Bappa Morya, in Singapore!



You read that right! I had the privilege of screaming Ganpati Bappa Morya right here in the garden city we call Singapore :-).

Come August, and every Indian starts looking forward to the upcoming months of festivities. By the time you are done celebrating one, next one’s lined up. Being away from India therefore in the festive period breaks your heart. The ache begins right from Raksha Bandhan and goes on till Diwali.


Bappa all set for Aarti!


It is wacky how the whole nation kind of drowns in the festive spirit, leaving aside all problems and woes, getting unified in the celebration for months together.

And being a Mumbaikar, having grown up witnessing the mania we call the ten days of Ganpati back home, this particular festival is a big deal for me. The mood is serene, the frame of mind is spiritual and pious, the air just feels totally different. Its not just a communal thing, Lord Ganesha has been just like a family member to me. I get very emotional when he says good bye and makes us wait for another year.

Unlike most Maharashtrians, we never really hosted Bappa at home, whether before marriage or after. But right from day one of the festival, I’d be in a joyous mood, even as a kid. The arrival of the Ganpati in the society would feel like His arrival at home. Imagine my joy, when I was told by a dear friend that her family celebrate Ganeshotsav here in Singapore.

In London, we would visit the Maharashtra Mandal (MM) Ganpati. So basically, most major cities in the world outside India have an MM society, where such events are organised. We would drop by once to attend the Aarti. But this was so much better.

Last year, we had taken Master A to India for him to see the festivities in person. Right since then, whenever you say ‘Ganpati Bappa’, he’ll follow it up with ‘Morya’ :-). This year the visit wasn’t possible. But thanks to my friend, my family could experience the joy here itself.





Of course there's nothing better than being on ground zero, for any Indian abroad. But this was the next best thing, recreating the atmosphere here, in our own small way.

Ganpati Bappa Morya!!



PS. Amidst all the festive cheer though, its very essential that we try to be environment-friendly, not just for oursleves but for our future generations. Plaster of Paris idols spread toxic chemicals in the water. Also seeing a broken arm or a leg of a Ganpati idol floating to the shore is very heart-wrenching, isnt it? Hence doing away with these idols, and opting for the clay or mud ones is the need of the hour. Kudos to my friend, who does the Visarjan of a betelnut instead of the Ganpati idol.







17 comments:

Sumeet Nayak said...

This is the second time am missing out on all the fun during Ganpati. Luckily few of my seniors here in the States make Ganpati idol from clay - dough and try to recreate the atmosphere. Just His mere presence and aura transforms the entire surrounding. Ganpati Bappa Morya.

Unknown said...

Absolutely Sumeet! His presence surely does have a magical effect!

saloni said...

The fun if festivals in home land is just different. So many childhood memories. And the series of festivals has just begun!

Unknown said...

Yep Saloni...bank of memories worth cherishing!

Tejali Sarangdhar said...

Good one

Unknown said...

Thanks so much Tejali :-)

Unknown said...

So very true these 2-3 months fly away so quickly with all d festival s back to back... and Ganpati bappa is favourite of all. I njoy all 5days of my bldg ganpati fun fiesta thru out 5days. Although it becomes hectic co of late nights but still we all njoy every moment of it !!!!

Unknown said...

Yes Sonal, its so funny isn't it how these days just fly by, and before we know it, we are on the threshold of another year!

Unknown said...

Awesome Leena... I did the same... do make time to read:
http://drishti.co/2015/09/17/o-my-lord-ganesha-i-miss-you/

Cheers, Archie :)

Unknown said...

I have been blessed year on year to not have missed welcoming bappa at home....life feels so much better just being there in Mumbai on this festival....may he continue to bless us all forever.

Unknown said...

Thanks Archana! Will check it out :-)

Unknown said...

Ashu, thats a blessing indeed, just being able to welcome him home all throughout ur life!

Anonymous said...

Ganpati Bappa Morya. I so miss the celebration in Amchi Mumbai but Bappa always shows the way, I am sure. Love ur cute Ganpati. Agree, we need to popularize eco friendly Ganpati:)

Anonymous said...

Very true. The festivity starts with Ganesh Chaturthi and ends with Diwali, and this period of two months is the finest in India. Your post indicates that you can take an Indian out of India but not India out of an Indian.

Unknown said...

Yep Vishal! Eoc-friendly Ganpati is the need of the hour. And you are absolutely right when you say, that Bappa always shows the way. Keep smiling buddy!

Unknown said...

Yes Sunil, you can never take India out of an Indian. The roots are very strong, and shall always be :-)

Dr. Priyanka Shanbhag Shroff said...

Ganeshji looks royal, as He always is!