Ganapati festival onwards, there is one activity that Maharashtrians, Gujaratis and Bengalis avidly share. Yes, you guessed it right. It is pandal-hopping.
Once the Gauri immersion takes place, most Marathis are out at night in huge numbers as they go pandal hopping. In most Marathi households, as per the family tradition, the Ganesha immersion would have taken place as well. Free birds, they literally paint the town in all colours as they hop pandals more gleefully than the I/T professionals would hop jobs till 2008 when the Depression struck hard and harshly.
Once upon a time, a copyright claim of the Pune-ites, now pandal hopping is a favourite all over Maharashtra. Till Anant Chaturdashi, streets turn in to khau gallies, amusement parks, free entry discotheques, fashion streets, and what have you. Well, the Ganapati pandals as well as the immersion floats are indeed wonderful sights as well.
As for the Gujaratis, though youngsters from every possible community share the frenzy, pandal hopping consists of the rhythmic garba dance. Otherwise, the Gen X,Z, Alpha, and what have you,would not be dead seen in traditional clothes. Come Navratri, and they go traditional in a huge way, be it the dress, be it the dance. It seems there are special Garba teaching batches. Sure they are on the internet. How people practice on the YouTube, there is no knowing!
As for the Bengalis, their 'pujo' pandals have lovely idols of the deity in her triune avataars. There is a huge khau galli as well as a mini market that sells everything, trinkets to Bengal cottons. Yet unmistakable is the religious fervour and the very Bengali art feel as there is Robindra Shongit as well as the Baul mela's. I once visited the very Bengali 'pujo' pandal with my friend. It is a unique feel indeed.
Well, such is the festival passion of these three communities that they create this festive feel wherever they might be. You hence have mini Pune's, mini Ahmedabad's, and mini Kolkata's all over India, why, i would even say, all over the world, once the festive drums cheerfully beat the happy feel loud and clear!
Pratima@Once a BBA student of mine wanted a topic that dealt with an alternative informal mode of business making. I had suggested the Dharavi business world. We discussed it in detail. In addition to the ppt presentation of her project, she could also write an article on the theme for the college magzine. Next one such student approaches me for such an option, I think, I would suggest the economic modes and the financial patterns of pandal hopping!
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