We made it back from Mysore on Sunday in time for the last part of the Ganesh Chathurti festival here at Mantri Greens.
Ganesha on the last night with one of the priests.
There were lots of puja (prayers), food was offered to Ganesha for prasad, and then Ganesha was carried from the stage, up the stairs, and onto the back of the trucks where amid lots of singing, bell-ringing, coconut smashing, and general excitement; the priests got up with Ganesha and the truck drove around the complex, stopping at each tower for more pooja and coconut smashing (I've never thrown a husked coconut at a hard surface before. It sounds like a bomb going off). People followed the truck all around the complex singing and chanting. In addition to the big Ganesha that belonged to the whole complex, many families brought their individual Ganesha down to the temple then carried them to the truck to join the large Ganesha in his final rounds of the apartments. There has been a plea for people to use clay Ganesha idols (these go into the water bodies around town, the plaster-of-paris and heavy metals in the neon paints have long-term effects on water health) and many of those in the complex did so but there were also a good number of neon plaster-of-paris idols on the stand. After Ganesha had made the final rounds the truck drove out of the complex and went to Sankey tank (a reservoir) where Ganesha was, I assume, immersed in the water. My understanding of this is that Ganesha comes to visit us, then is returned to the earth by melting him into a body of water at the end of the festival. After the truck left with the Ganesha idols, the prasad was served and everyone hung out in the courtyard until quite late at night. A few hours after everyone had dispersed we were drawn to the windows by loud (really loud) drumming and could see a van and about 12 wildly dancing men below our apartment. I still haven't figured out how that related to the rest of the festivities or if it were something all-together different.
Monday's paper said that so many Ganesha had been immersed in Sankey tank that they had to close it down until Wednesday so that the city could clean out the old Ganesha and make room for more. We haven't been out to Sankey tank to watch the immersion process but may try to go sometime this week.
Monday's paper said that so many Ganesha had been immersed in Sankey tank that they had to close it down until Wednesday so that the city could clean out the old Ganesha and make room for more. We haven't been out to Sankey tank to watch the immersion process but may try to go sometime this week.