Anant Chaturdashi! The much awaited festival is finally over. In the morning, the processions, mostly with dhol-tasha, that is, the traditional Marathi musical instruments, began. Come evening, and the walls of speakers that literally rattle your windows and doors, absolutely made their presence felt, rather h(e)ard. They were on till midnight.
In the Interior Pune, the inner parts of the city, the procession must be on still. Well, to put it most mildly, year by year, the number of Ganesh pandals is giving a tough competition to the hours the procession goes on and on.
Our school never had a holiday on the day after. I still remember the beautifully decorated Dagdu Sheth Ganapati float looking pathetic despite the lovely decoration full of lights as it was returning to the temple the day after, and our school bus overtook it at about 5.30!
Do these processions take us away from the holiness of the festival? Sure they do. The songs blaring on the 'walls' are ugly, to say the least. People accompanying the floats are dead drunk, and dance in the most vulgar way to these tunes. Pune as an open air discotheque has nothing to do with the holiness of the festival nor with the original purpose with which Lokmanya Tilak initiated the festival.
That cultural-social purpose can be easily reignited in the current context. There can be a speech series as well as competitions through which local talents, including dhol-tasha teams, can be given a platform, and some recognition. People thus coming together would build good will and camaraderie completely missing currently. Thus would end, moreover, the tyranny of the endless dhol-tasha pathak's separately performing in every chowk. The poor police force would sure heave a huge sigh of relief if such creative alternatives are adapted.
Many such relevant creative alternatives are possible. Who cares though? Every year, the never ending procession follows the footsteps of the 'mirawnuk' the last year and the year before that.
Pratima@ Yet again begins the wait for the arrival of Lord Ganesh. Well, the idols are temporary. The Lord was there, is there and will always be there in our hearts, heads, minds, and souls.
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