Ganesha (elephant god) celebrated his birthday yesterday- Sukla Chaturthi (4th day from New moon day) in the tamil month of Aavani (August 15-September 14). Chennai came under the magic spell of Ganesha - Fun, frolic and rains came down hard on the city. Ganesha is located in every nook and corner from an inch to several feet high and you can’t see a street in Chennai without his temple or statue. Either trunk up or trunk down we consider him lucky and he is worshipped as the obstacle remover. Every house made his favorite dish – Kozhakattai (coconut pudding stuffed in rice dumplings) both salt and sweet ones. No wonder Ganesha has such a big tummy, lol! Ganesha has chosen mouse (Meenjur) to be his vahana (vehicle), difficult to comprehend a big god on a small mouse, huh? Well if you have noticed Ganesha has small eyes, he doesn’t look at our mistakes, he has big ears to hear every little prayer that we say and he has a big, long trunk to ward off evil and get us out of trouble.
Ganesha’s are usually made of clay and painted with colors and pretty eyes made of red and black beads (kunthumani). He wears a one piece cloth around his wait and the sacred thread that runs across his chest from the left shoulder. Ganeshas are immersed the following day after pooja in the sea. People have used chemicals and other non-biodegradable materials, but due the recent campaigns to use biodegradable materials we have more seriously taken to clay.
Speakers blowing loud music with majestic voice from the Seerkazhi family filled the air and created the festive mood. Thanks to the rain that came down hard in the morning, roads were not crowded both in terms of people and pollution. While Ganesha had an umbrella the rest of the public was caught unawares with the morning rain.
Chennai’s rainfall is 36% deficit for the period between June and August. We need Ganesha to bless us with some more rains. This morning news paper reported of the low pressure sitting quietly in the Bay of Bengal and that should bring a decent rainfall in the next 36 hours. To add to the low pressure the news paper also carried an article on the sea, it has been quite rough over the past week, and people were anxious to know if there is another Tsunami around the corner. Several newspapers reported the ferocity of the waves and encroachment of land by the sea. I was in Marina last evening and rain has stopped by then, the crowd was slowing picking up. I could see the marks left by the waves at almost in the center of the beach. Wow! The water has traveled so far and I was getting a little worried, but the sea was clam and flat yesterday. Is it calm before storm? People were already bringing the Ganesha to dissolve them in the sea yesterday. So many Ganeshas’ lined up the shore and incense sticks were shown before immersing. I still don’t know why Ganesha has to be immersed after worship.
We are just cruising through the hindu festival season. 15 days ago it was Krishna’s b’day and now Ganesha’s has gone by. We are just a month away from Navarathri (Doll festival). Well hang in there, we will enjoy that one with more color and valor.
Well, here too in Paris, last sunday we celebrated Ganesga, it was wonderful, the whole indian community in Paris and also westerners in my style! It surely cannot be compared with the atmosphere in Chennai. But we enjoyed... they threw cocunuts in the street, i learnt that they do it to expel the ego.
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