Ganesha banda...

It was a festive weekend back home and to say the most obvious, I was not part of it. Yawnnn...

Luckily, I did not have to work as was planned but for some irregular mail-checks/lookups in my office laptop. It wass a feeling with excitement and sadness when I talk to folks back home on a festival day. Elation of being part of the festive mood for few moments on the OFC cable and sadness of missing out yet again :(. Especially, when it comes to Ganesha Chathurthi as it marks the dawn of long string of festivities for the next 3-4 months of indian winter.

One thing I fondly remember of Ganesha Chathurthi (away from gulping loads of eateries), is the "Ganesha-seeing" ritual performed by the kids. For the unknown, it is a fun-activity where kids form up a gang and go knocking on the doors of homes asking for "Ganesha ittiddira?" (Have you bought the Ganesha idol?). If you get a positive response, you would just barge into the home and put some "akshatae kaalu" ( grains immersed in liquidish turmeric powder and kumkum) and pray for the goods. Again for the unknowns, on the day of Ganesha Chathurthi, household get an idol of colorful Lord Ganesha to worship, pray and then perform the systematic ritual of Visarjan (immerse the GOD in waters). More details of which is here.

Back to "Ganesha-seeing" ritual!! As a kid, I remember being part of it for three or utmost 4 years. But it was ultimate fun to barge into unknown homes and shout - Ganapati bappa moraya. Number of Ganesha varied from 11 to 21 to 108. Many a times we would wake the sleeping lot who would have embraced the sleep-GODs after their sumptuous festive lunch. Add to that, many household would have cooked some sweets/savouries for the impromptu kids gang. All and all it was a fun filled holiday as parents/elders never said NO for such an activity. In those days, internet and cable television had just started spreading its tentacles and for a kid, being away from home with friends sounded pleasant than being engulfed within the four walls. More so when you have the liberty of roaming anywhere and everywhere in the name of being blessed by the GOD :-). No wonder kids loved Lord Ganesha.

Do I want todo that again? Even if I were to I dont think any sane-minded people would allow me inside their home. Just imagine the scene where an unknown 6 footer asks a female sitting in her living room - "Ganesha ittidira?". I will let you imagine the consequences of such an act :-)

I am not sure if later(current) generation of kids are keen todo that anymore and if they were to, does the current environment/surrond provide a breeding ground for such an act? Not sure. But truly , if you are not going through this in your early childhood years, you are missing some fun.

Just another weekend passed by with nothing notable worth mentioning. Ok folks got to run and have a great week ahead :-)