Ganpatti 2013

Ganpatti is an annual religious festival celebrating Ganesh, the elephant headed god much loved in Mumbai.  Many families and societies, sometimes referred to as Mandals, bring Ganesh, in the form of a statue, into their home or into a temporary shrine or Pandal that often takes up half a lane on the street.  

The Ganesh nearest to the office...

Ganesh is hosted for a 1.5, 3, 5, 7, or 11 day stay with a senior family member required to stay in the home to host Ganesh. For many of the Ganesh sponsored by Mandsls, they are hosted by small boys who work in shifts. These lads seem very impressed with their important role in the community. 

.... and his security detachment

While Ganesh is in the house, Pooja’s are held and offerings are made.  Bringing Ganesh into the home means significant commitment.  Once started you need to invite Ganesh into your house for the next 5 years, the statue must never get smaller, no alcohol should be consumed and there must not have been a family bereavement in the prior 12 months.

Within 30 metres of Ganesh's elaborate digs
everyday India continues

Different societies, local communities and political parties compete to build the largest, most unique, Ganesh statue to which large offerings are made.  The largest Ganesh statues are around 20 feet tall and are only limited by the heights of the bridges that they need to pass under on the procession to the ocean.  There is a fierce competition between the societies for the best Ganesh in Mumbai.

The "before shot" of a Pandal
under construction....

This year I took more interest in following the construction of the temporary Pandals which often take up all or part of a lane of traffic causing headaches for the commuters in Mumbai. It is amazing to watch these structures take shape 

....and the "after shot" of which any
home renovation show would be proud

They start with bamboo, rope and plastic tarp, which is then covered with brightly covered fabrics and elaborate facades. All of this is taken away at the end of the festival. As with any festival, the political parties have a role to play with local politicians sponsoring the Mandals and the associated celebrations.

It looks peaceful but it wasn't

The question is, what do you do with a god when his stay has finished.  You cant throw him out with the rubbish or dump him like an unwanted kitten on a street corner.  

Ganesh serene in a sea of activity

The answer is that you organize a parade and immerse Ganesh in the ocean.  This process occurs for the 55,000 significant Ganesh statues that are hosted around Mumbai.

Dancing between the trucks

These parades can vary from a push cart with a few drummers leading the way to elaborate floats designed to show off wealth and power.  

The generator to power....

The larger parades have generator vans which are used to power the speakers on the first truck and the elaborate lights on the second truck. In between is a rolling disco of dancing devotees grinding to loud Hindi music. 

....the bank of speakers!

Last year the longest and seemingly largest Ganesh parade took some twenty hours to reach his resting pace.  These parades are sooo sloooow.

This drummer was set up on a 4 wheeled
vegetable cart

Once at the sea, Gansesh is carried out by the devotees, the larger Ganesh’s being loaded on a boat and taken out in the sea to be immersed. The next low tide reveals a beach full of Ganesh statues, a little worse for wear from their time in the ocean with missing limbs and trunks. They then disappear, I wonder how many are re-cycled for next year?

The more traditional marching drummers
with Vespa getting in on the action

On the last night of the immersion I grabbed Kate's Vespa and headed out to take some photos.  I started on Linking Road getting some snaps of a number of groups taking their Ganesh to Juhu Beach.  As always the Ganeshes were big and small.  Some were elaborate and some less so.  The one consistent theme was the enthusiasm in which the devotees approach the evening, very festive.

A lonely cart owner on his way back from
the immersion

While on the edges of the road, lots of people wanted to engage with me and I just wanted to take photos.  One of the challenges as an expat in Mumbai is that you learn to put up barriers around your self because so many people want something from you or are trying to take some kind of advantage. Moments of engagement without expectation are rare.  These types of festivals are the rare times when Indians want to share their culture with you and expect nothing but it is sometimes hard to let down those barriers.

Ganesh in convoy

Vespa and I then headed to Khar fishing village which is where Maria, our house helper, lives and is close to our old apartment.  I was the only white face in a sea of locals.  While I was taking some photos when someone thrust some grated coconut into my hand.  I wasn't sure if I was meant to eat it or offer it to Ganesh so I did neither. 

I hope that I haven't endorsed any dubious policies

I was soon spotted by a local politician who had sponsored the local festivities and was seated on an elevated platform with some of his supporters.  I was ushered over to join them and many photographs were taken as a white face immediately adds to the credibility of the event and the organiser.  I asked one his aids about the coconut and he told me that "you eat' it but he quickly clarified by saying "but you don't eat it!" obviously concerned about my short term health.

Weary after a long nights festivities

Festival season is India at its best.  The simmering religious, racial and caste tensions seem to be forgotten.  For many people who live very hard lives, they are provided with a reason to be festive and happy and that is important when you are trying to get  by in a crowded mega city like Mumbai.

Posted by Chris.