It is that time of the year again

It is that time of the year again when Lord Ganesh enters our lives bringing to fore the joie de vivre in us.  In several places in India Ganesh chaturthi is a one day affair but in amchi Mumbai it could be anywhere between one to fifteen days. It is the season of gay abandon when people dance and jostle to welcome their favorite deity to their homes and mandals.  The most eagerly awaited time for us Mumbaikars.

Ganesh chaturthi can be a logistics nightmare. The mere thought of transporting lord Ganesh idols across the streets of Mumbai can send a chill down the spine of any logistics planner. The entire operation of transporting the idols is more unplanned than planned but unbelievably much smoother than any planned operations. Like Mr. Amit Maheshwari, our CEO, often says, in India everything is ‘Jugaad’; things get done. The idols of lord Ganesh get transported with very few minor hiccups; not bad considering the sheer number of mandals and household that participates in this venture, not to mention the multitude of people.

Then comes the darshan time; long winding queues of spirited devotees throng the path along the barricades not minding the inconveniences of the makeshift pandals, resolute in their aim of having a glimpse of their lord. Some of the more popular mandals witness millions of devotees during the festival period, from early in the morning to late night. The devotees’ belief in their lord is total and absolute and nothing can deter them from visiting the deity at their favorite and chosen mandals. Much of the people management is done by volunteers appointed by the mandals and the general public, none of whom have any special qualification for it. The support from the government machinery to this whole spectacle can be at best described as rudimentary.

After the stipulated period of celebration it is time to bid adieu to the lord as he is reluctantly taken out in processions to be immersed in water. Again the logistics nightmare, the process of transporting the idols begins and once again the Mumbaikars sing and dance in gay abandon as they say farewell to their beloved lord. The atmosphere resonates with shouts of ‘Ganapati bappa morya, pudchya varshi laukar yaa’. The feeling of devotees as they return home after immersion is difficult to describe. It is as if they have parted with a beloved member of their family. With downcast eyes and heavy heart they trudge back to their respective homes with a lingering thought of the promised visit of their lord the same time next year…Pudcha varshi laukar yaa.