Ganesh Utsav is a joyous festival that takes us back to our childhood memories in Maharashtra, where it originated and is celebrated with incredible enthusiasm and excitement. On this 07 September, we continued our cherished traditions as we welcomed Bappa into our home to bestow His blessings upon us.
The festival was celebrated with great grandeur and devotion throughout 10 days. The day used to begin with my mother and my son offering durva (grass) to Lord Ganesh. Every day, we would lovingly gather 21 fresh durva blades and flowers from our garden to offer to our beloved Bappa. Every morning getting up early to perform the morning aarti and manage the hospital and school was a tedious task for every one of us, which was managed easily by the blessings of Bappa. The modaks (priya prasad of Ganesh ji) were prepared in the evening and were offered to the Sangat after the evening aarti.
At 7 pm, our close friends and family would come together at our home for the evening aarti. This was a cherished part of our daily routine, and we would often have 20-25 people joining us, including friends and neighbours. Daily, mantras were chanted and five aartis were performed, which echoed togetherness and positivity in the area. Sounds of bells and shank naad (conch shell) made the whole environment vibrant, divine, and pure. Finally, after aarti, the fragrance of kappor and lobaan would spread all over our house and hearts which gave us immense satisfaction and peace. After performing the aarti and receiving Prasad, everyone would sit together for a warm and lively session of chit-chatting. They would share knowledge and exchange experiences from the past, which created a warm atmosphere that made the house feel like a proper home filled with family and friends. The laughter and sense of unity that filled the air truly made the house a special place.
During the night, me and my family would sleep in front of Bappa. Looking at Bappa, it used to feel like Ganeshji is solving all our problems and worries by just looking and talking to him. It was a mesmerizing experience. I could feel the presence of Ganeshji every day. Finally, after 10 days of celebration, Mahaprasad was organized on 16 September at home where puri, raita, kaddoo ki sabzi (pumpkin curry), allo tamater sabji (potato and tomato curry) and halwa (semolina pudding) were served; the Amrut Varsha of Ganeshji in the Prasad gave a delicious flavour to the simple ordinary food.
The next day, my family and the other residents of Sector 92 embarked on an exhilarating journey for the Visarjan of Ganesh ji. We called for the van, adorned it with beautiful decorations, and prepared the divine Kaala-Prasad. We decided to conduct the visarjan at a nearby temple by creating a mesmerizing pond. We were determined not to pollute our rivers and ponds, so we meticulously prepared for the visarjan.
Ganpati visarjan, in our sectors’s under-construction temple was done in the belief that Ganpati would remain in our sector and near to our hearts. His presence would be felt in the new Mandir and would be forever with us.
Finally, after chanting “Ganpati Bappa Morya, Pudchya Varshi Lavkari Ya” and dancing together in the air full of gulal, we departed our beloved Ganpatiji with full enthusiasm, after aarti at the mandir premises. With this Ganeshji went away only to come back next year. The festival electrified our house and the entire Sector 92 with an abundance of positivity and spirituality, uplifting the people of Sector 92. It fostered a profound sense of togetherness and unity, flooding our hearts with love and compassion, while truly bringing peace to our restless minds and souls. Ganpati Bappa Morya!
