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.