Finally arrived the day. Anant Chaturdashi. The final farewell to the joyous festival. Yes, Ganeshotsav brings in its wake an optimistic, festive feel full of happiness. Just because the Ganesha is with us, we feel inordinately cheerful. All is well with the world, and will continue to be so, is the mood.
For these ten days, many businesses, the roadside joyrides, the bands and dhol-taasha groups, the florists, the "khau gallis", the housewives who make 'modaks', the rangoli artists, the idol making "classes", the pandal decorators, countless small time enterprises flourish, whether or not the monsoon plays a spoiler. The business models are both the b2b and the b2c types. I would not know if a systematic analysis has been attempted by the very many BBA/MBA departments/institutes in the city/state. Worth a try indeed!
In Pune, the immersion procession itself would give a rise to countless commerce/business studies-based analyses, lasts as it does for almost two days. The "first five manache Ganapati" start on time, and mostly end their processions on time, too. Their troupes are culturally rich, beautifully decorated, pay a tribute to Marathi games/exercises/practices, and often have a social message as well.
The Tilak Wada Ganapati this year, for example, made all the dhol-taasha pathaks in their troupe wear the postal dress so that the spectators remember the relevance of the postal services, almost on the brink of extinction, given the Wapp message mode prevalent currently. The usual Dagdusheth, Mandai, and other such mandals have beautiful electric decorations.
The whole of Pune is a public disco for almost two days. Every road, each housing society premises transform in to dancing floors. The dhol-taasha beat is sure an invite to every pair of feet to shake it! During the procession, the pathaks play it endlessly, performing for precious ten/fifteen minutes in every chowk, at every crossroads.
Unfortunately, however, there are THE walls and the flashing lights as well. Often, vulgar most songs are played, and the ugliest contortions called dance by the drunks who are full tight are so weird that the Lord himself must be praying that the tamasha ends soon!
The police and the state machinery must be on edge, too, for these ten days. There is no knowing what could turn the context volatile. In addition, there are fireworks most all mandals insist on. The day of the final farewell must be a relaxation for them as well!
Pratima@ Am already awaiting the September next year! Yet I do hope that the Mumbai immersions of these huge idols do not leave the eyesore sight of the disintegrated idols. The Hyderabad Hussein Sagar Lake would have such a pathetic show at least for a fortnight, and it used to tear at my helpless heart!
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