19thof September this year marked the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi, which is a major festival celebrated by Hindus worldwide. It falls on the fourth day of the bright fortnight (‘Shukla Paksha’) of the Hindu month of Bhadrapada. This festival commemorates the birth of Hindu God Ganesha, who is the remover of obstacles, lord of new beginnings andsymbol of good luck, wisdom and intelligence.
On the occasion of Ganesha Chaturthi, devotees bring idols of Lord Ganesha to their homes. These idols are prepared by artisans months before the festival. Some organizations install idols at public places called ‘pandals’. Eco-friendly Ganesha idols are mostly made of clay, paper pulp and natural colours. It is said that upon praying to the Ganesha idol with proper procedure, the energy of Lord Ganesha resides in the idol and blesses the devotees.
One of my mother’s friends in London, Mrs. Rashmi Amin had requested her to get a Ganesha idol. After arriving in London, we gave her the Ganesha idol, upon receiving which she was very happy. It was a beautiful idol of Lord Ganesha having a smoky-gray colour.
On the day of celebration, we all woke up early, got ready and reached Rashmi Aunty and Ashwin Uncle’s home in Kingsbury. From there, me and my mother went to Bharat Uncle’s homewhere the Ganesha idol would be welcomed initially. The environment there was already energetic and buzzing. People were interacting with each other and soft drinks and traditional snacks were being served. Bhajans were being sung along with rhythm. After some time, the priest and my father, who was carrying the Ganesh idol, arrived there. People were eagerly waiting in line to welcome Ganeshji and the excitement and happiness on their face was there to see. They were clicking photos and videos to capture this memorable moment. Upon welcoming the idol, Bharat Uncle and his wife performed Puja under directions by the priest. Now the idol of Lord Ganesha was to be taken to Rashmi Aunty’s place for ‘Sthaapna’, meaning it would remain there until ‘Visarjan’ (immersion in water).
When the Ganesha idol arrived there, many women were laying a white carpet for Ganeshji until he reached the home. It was their way of showing their ‘bhaav’ or devotion towards the Lord. The house was beautifully decorated with clear instructions for devotees to ensure smooth operations. Finally, the idol was placed on a large altar which was magnificently decorated. Now, the elaborate puja called ‘Shodashopchar’ started wherein God is worshipped systematically with 16 rituals. My mother and father had the chance to sit in this Puja. Offerings such as food items, flowers, etc. were made to Lord Ganesha. Many people had gathered at Rashmi Aunty’s home and a devotional atmosphere had been created.
Meanwhile, volunteers had started receiving and preparing for food. On the other hand, the ‘Abhishek’ of Lord Ganapati was being done. ‘Abhishek’ means to bathe the idol of God with things like milk, sugar, honey, curd, ghee, etc. One by one, all got the chance to do Abhishek. This marked the end of the Puja.People offered their final prayer to Lord Ganesha while leaving. Some also took blessings of the priest. It was a day filled with activity as organizing such a celebration takes a lot of effort and team work; and I had the chance to be a part of it. It was an enriching experience. May Lord Ganesha shower his blessings on us all.Ganpati Bappa Morya!