This year
was my second year of being at the Ganapati festival. Sure, it might be a bit
crowded, but crowds are worth it. I love the different and creative background set ups there are for each Ganapati. Ganapati come for either 1 and a half day, or five days or seven days or ten days. It is a unique experience to visit the immersion procession of the Five Manache Ganapatis of Pune. They are very famous apart from the tall Ganapatis of Mumbai. The five are as follows:
1. Kasba Ganapati
2. Tamdi Jogeshwari Ganapati
3. Guruji Talim
4. Tulshi Baug Ganapati
5. Keshri Wada Ganapati
I have not seen all of them, except for Kasba Ganapati, Guruji Talim Ganapati and Tulshi Baug Ganapati. Another famous Ganapati is the Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati. This Ganapati wears a crown made of gold followed by gold jewelry and even clothes made of gold! Not only that, but recently the Dagdusheth Ganapati has received ears made of gold! It had wonderful decorations and was named Ganadhish Rath.
Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati
Lord Ganesh is present in all of these lovely idols. But my favorite one was the Tulshi Baug Ganapati Idol. This Ganapati wears jewelry made of silver followed by a silver crown, silver ears and silver tusks. The Tulshi Baug Ganapati idol is made out of fiber and is the second tallest idol in Pune. This year's theme was Lord Shiva
Tulshi Baug Ganapati
Everyone makes sure that all the idols are made with perfection. The detailed and traditional painting on the trunk of the idol is also very beautiful. The first Manacha Ganapati is the Kasba Ganapati. You can see the gorgeous painting on the trunk in the following photo.
Kasba Ganapati - Credit: Kasba Ganapati Facebook Page
It is a tradition that at the time of the Ganapati Visarjan (departure) their arrival should be announced by Dhol and Tasha. Dhol is an Indian type of a drum and so is the tasha. These instruments are all about the beat and are enjoyed by all. This parade is started by the Dhwaj (flag). A person stands in the middle of a circle made by people and holds the heavy metal pole of the dhwaj and jumps with it on the beat of the dhol tasha. Many think that it is easy to do this, but it is a very hard task and requires a lot of strength in the arms followed by stamina.
The Dhwaj
My family and I have made it a tradition to have lunch at Bedekar Tea Stall. We don't drink tea; we eat the famous Misal. Some might call it spicy, but I love it! People across India and many other countries come to Pune, Maharashtra to witness this extraordinary festival. This festival was started back when the British ruled over India, by Lokmanya Tilak. As a valid reason for people to meet, the Ganapati festival began in Pune.
Considering the fact that many, many people come, there is traffic and a big crowd almost wherever you go. A new public transport, Pune Metro, was started last year. It covered a small distance, but not anymore! These trains now have now made it much easier to visit the Ganapati festival and go back home.
Overall, it is a wonderful experience. If you are visiting Pune in the month of September, be sure to have a look at the Ganapati Festival.
Comments
Post a Comment