Aug 22, 2009

GANPATI BAPPA MORYA!!

First: I'm back.




Few things are as exciting as Ganesh Chaturthi in Bombay.
Who would think that this city could become even more alive? But it does, it goes mad.

I am originally from Orissa, where the focus is more on Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja and ofcourse Jagannath Rath Yatra. But me being a Mumbaikar, I desperately count the days down to the meeting with Ganpati Bappa.
10 days of pure madness. Of dhol and aarti. Of colours and dance. Of Hindus and Muslims, and Christians and others.
I truly and essentially believe in his power and love him to death. It is so evident that he is the destroyer of all your problems when you look into his kindly eyes. Such beautiful eyes.

I remember a particular conversation Shwetu and me had in a Physics Lab in 11th std. She was new and quite alien to the concept of so much noise.
*LOUD NOISE from the streets*
Shwetu(Slightly troubled): Umm suchi, what is that?!
*LOUDER NOISE*
Shwetu(insistent): Suchi!
ME(incredulous): It's Ganesh Chaturthi! somebody is bringing in a murti.
shwetu: So?
Me and some others: (Blank incredulous silence)

I guess you have to be here to understand it. the pure crazy joy of it all.


*Ganpati Bappa Morya
Pudchya Varshi Laukar ya*

12 comments:

Sharanya said...

Gosh, I haven't laughed this loud in soooo long!! I can TOTALLY imagine that conversation =D

I love the 10 days. Even though I am NEVER a part of the madness/fun/dance-music jhol, I LOVE to watch from afar and it is is, weird as it may sound, serene in it's chaos.


I FULLY agree that you have to BE here to understand the beautiful mess. Yeh hai Mumbai meri jaan, after all :)

William Deng-Deng K. said...

Bombay. Can u all stop mentioning Bombay in ur posts? :| Mee meessees eet. Yeh hai Mumbai meri jaan and all. :|

I can grouse about being stuck here and all for hours at a stretch. But I'll spare this post. All that, sometime later.

I used to dig all that when I was a kid. Haven't seen a GC procession since 12th grade. :( Mee wants.

And hi. :)

Ravi Teja Synti said...

wow, I did hear ganesh chaturdi is a big festival here ( @Deng, now I'M in mumbai too :P :D ). Its starting today na?? I guess i'll get to see some hungama!

Suchi, the ganesha pic u put is cute :) (and i replied to ur comment on my post :) )

Aggie M said...

Yay!!
you're back!!
I miss Bombay so much. suchi it sucks here :|
Ganpati in the hostel and in college.
Aweosme reasons to wake up early in the morning and have long random conversations with him.
I miss Bombay :|
:(
Shwetu, sigh.

Such! said...

@sharan: conversations with Shwetu always tend to get a bit quirky, dont they now? :)

@deng: you are 2nd! me no happy. fine, next post no bombay, like a blogmate promise.

@spidey: hey perv! sorry, sprry, paedo-perv! :) Hz the mango juice coming along? You are here!!!! :D

@mag: Wait, i'll just call.

Sharanya said...

@ Deng-Deng:

Wait, so where exactly are you now?

William Deng-Deng K. said...

@ BF : 1st comment on ur next post. Pucca.

No Bombay? Mee thenk yu dhen. Reeul beeg. :)

@ Sharanya : Nagpur. :| Just mentioning it reduces my self-esteem and self-respect and what not by half. Its that horrible. :| U're in Bombay, right? How AWESOME . :)

Unknown said...

Wow!! Chatting and all! Hey my next pots bcm the random chat site again! What say?
Suchi..

Sharanya said...

@ Suchi:

Well, yeah, it's your fault, all the interesting people on the blogospehere turn up here =P

@ Deng-Deng:

So THAT'S how you know Aggie =D

R. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Faith. said...

Hey
I'm afraid this has nothing to do with your blog but I must say you write very well..I could only read the one about smileys:) This is actually about a comment of yours on the blog World Ranking Guide. I happened to read that you want to do something in Public Communications. If I had your email ID it would actually be easier. My name's Aanchal. Try and get back.

William Deng-Deng K. said...

@ Sharanya : Yup. :) THAT's how I know Aggie. ;)

@ BF : Wasn't this a chat section?