Happy Ganesh Utsav

I missed posting on Ganesh Chaturthi this time. I was in Mumbai last Monday. Tuesday evening was when I foolishly decided to make my way to Pune from Mumbai. As a matter of practical importance, I made the proper offerings to Ganesh, the Remover of Obstacles, before I embarked on my journey. After all, Mr Ganesh was around in the vicinity seeing as it was his time for his annual visit. So what happened? Well, I’ll tell you. Shri Ganesh failed miserably in removing obstacles from my path.

{Image above stolen from some website.}

Here’s what happened. It took about 2:30 hours to get from Mumbai to the outskirts of Pune (around 150 kms) and then it took 4 hours — I kid you not — to travel the last 24 kms to my place! What happened was that there was an amazing rain storm around 5 PM in Pune which dumped gazillion amounts of water onto the Pune streets which resulted in flooding. Traffic was backed up for miles. It was a disaster.

Ganesh, as the remover of obstacles should be fired if this is what removing obstacles amounts to. Saying that his performance is below par does not even come close to it. Anyway, I am not one to hold grudges. All is forgiven. Mr Ganesh can have a nice visit but I would be very careful to do the job of removing obstacles properly the next time if I were him. It’s a matter of reputation, you know. Once your reputation is shot, it is very difficult to recover.

OK, here’s one picture of Ganesh dancing to some cool tune. Enjoy.

Have a happy Ganesh Utsav.

Previous Ganesh posts: Happy Ganesh Chaturthi 2007, and 2006.

“Holi hai!!”

Happy Diwali

Deepavali Greetings! May Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, be a welcome visitor to your home and workplace.

[The WordPress software is putting a "Japonophile" watermark on the pictures. I will have to figure out how to disable that one.]

Durga Puja

Durga Puja Greetings

For Bengalis, this is the biggest festival of the year. Today, the last day of the five-day event, is called “Bijoya Dashimi.” Mother Durga, who had come with her children (Saraswati, Lakshmi, Ganesh, and Kartik) to visit her parents, departs today. For five days her idols had been worshiped and today the idols will be given back to the earth from which they were made.

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi

That image is from a site in Roundwood, Co. Wicklow, Ireland. The caption to it says: “When Hindu Lord Ganesh came to Ireland he decided to go native, as indeed, he had done when he went to China and Japan. He is accompanied by his servant, the rat, the latter playing the bodran and enjoying a pint of Guinness. The sculpture is 6′4″ high and weighs approx. 4 tonnes.”

Have a pint and enjoy Ganesh Chaturthi. More images from the site below the fold.

Puja

Today is the first of the five days of Puja, the worship of the goddess Bengalis call Ma Durga. Oct 2nd is Vijaya Dashami, the day the Puja (worship) ends. As children, we are told that Durga comes with her children (Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik, and Ganesh) to visit her parents. Another story goes that Rama, in his war against Ravana, invoked Durga to help him. He was victorious and the worship of Durga is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil.

Puja for Bengalis is something special. New clothes, gifts, great food, visiting friends and family, and of course going to Puja pandals. I will probably go to the local pujas around the San Francisco Bay area.

I wish you all a wonderful Puja.

Happy Diwali

Asato ma sat gamaya
Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya
Mrityur ma amritam gamaya

Lead me from illusion to the Truth
Lead me from darkness to Light
Lead me from death to Immortality

from the Brihadaranya Upanishad.

Bijoya Dashimi Greetings

Today is Bijoy Dashimi, the final day of the festival we Bengalis call Puja. Ma Durga–Mahishashurmardini–has returned to her abode after defeating the forces of evil. My greetings to you all on this joyous occassion.

Now it is time for me to sit and listen to Raga Durga, sung by Veena Sahasrabuddhe, to mark the end of Puja.