Ganpati Visarjan

Our Ganpati goes along with the Gauri so this year the visarjan/ farewell was on the 6th day after Chaturthi, it was the 16th. Visarjan is always done at dusk and the entire scene is something to experience.

Earlier we would carry our Ganpati on the large swing we had at home. It would be hung from a bamboo pole and my father's maternal cousins carried it to the Malbandar. Especially Uttam Kaka always claimed that it was his duty and respect bestowed by us on him, he also is the burliest among all of my father's cousins. However now since we dismantled our swing from the terrace and we do not have burly men at home ;) Mothe Baba the genius converted it into a cart, He made it himself and uses the cart only for our own religious processions in Thal.

It has been tradition that the Patil families both ( Nagesh Patil and Vani family) take their Ganpati for emmersion  together. So in that tradition we decided that we will start from home at 5.30 pm for visarjan.

On the day of the visarjan the naivedya offered is not distributed as prasad but instead it is packed as a Shidori or packed meal for the Bappa as he will be traveling back to his abode.

At 5pm we moved the Ganpati and place him near the main door so that we could do the aukshan, everyone gets a darshan before departure. Ganpati is never moved from the sthapana place directly, it is a tradition to do a goodbye at the door and then move him.

I admire the fact that Sumeet wears the Nangota or Rumal for all religious celebrations when today the village youngsters shy away from wearing it.

Nagesh Patil family were also getting their Ganpati ready and the the push cart was stationed in front of their home which is just behind ours. The loud Ganpati Bappa Morya! was a signal for us to get ours out too by the time the cart was in front of our home. After placing our Ganpati on the cart the men folk took turns to push the cart while the others helped all the way through the old bazaar, bus stand and through Undher Ali and on to the Malbandar. All this among chants of Ganpati Bappa Morya!!

I would like to point out that we maintained a noise free Visarjan even though it was in the village. We could hear a lot of bands playing and loudspeakers blaring in the distant. For us it was just the pure chanting and villagers chanted back in response to our Ganpati Bappa Morya! as we moved ahead.

Baabli Kaki was praying for the family all along . It sounded like she was brainwashing the Bappa. I was missing the fact that there were no senior women from Vani family to do it for us but found solace that aleast B kaki was doing it. She was muttering something like, "Kaama dhandhya la pora jatan, yashacha vata des, Phurach dekh, mangari valu nako. Sukhi thev, Vighna kai haanu nako." Her tone was of demand for her children. It made me sentimental how much the success of the children meant to the mother in her.

We were the first few to reach the Malbandar, the pristine beach of Thal. The sun was on the horizon and so without wasting much time we did the farewell aarti. Kishor Bhau quickly removed his T shirt and his two boys followed suit they to wanted to take the Ganpati into the sea.

I was teasing them that they are the new trainees. Technically Kishor Bhau is the eldest among the  current generation in the two families and it is his duty to perform the Visarjan. Lalit, Hrushi and Sumeet were standing back and watching. The sun was ready to submerge in the sea, first with the Vani's Ganpati and then the Patil's Ganpati, Kishore Bhau along with another man carried the Bappa straight into the sea.

Ganpati Bappa Morya! Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Ya! 
Ganpati Gele Gavala, Chain Padhe Na Aamhala!

Ganpati Bappa Morya! Come back soon next year! 
Ganpati has gone home, leaving us restless.