Happy ganesh chaturthi in US

From: Tina
Date: Aug 27, 2006 11:15 PM
Subject: Happy ganesh chaturthi in US

Today was Ganesh chaturthi ...........
I never thought i would miss the loud playing of music which used to irritate me.....
Not that 'Mein nikala gaddi leke' from Gadar was ever my favourite .....but i could not tolerate it more after hearing it played continuosly by all the Ganesh mandals of our place at various tempo in my last year of Engg....

The next year I spent the ganesh chaturthi in chennai where i guess vinayaka chaturthi is not of that much fervour as in pune - mumbai ......or maharashtra...
We hardly noticed it.....except for the fact that few of our friends had managed to go home for ganpati ...... and bought back sweets and lovely modaks ...
The ones in the shape of pedes with saffron ( milk sweet meat...) of chitale bandhu or the steamed riceflour modaks with cocunut and jaggery filling ......wow heaven in chennai....
but we did get glimpses of ganesh chaturthi albeit limited one with us able to go home earlier as the beach was one of immersion grounds....
only difference being speakers blaring 'apadi pode' instead of hindi songs.....

The next one in hyd was ok....in the sense that there was trademark rain and trademark friends going home and getting modaks......But we were in midst of a lot of wrk that time so just had glimpses although really near ones ....
Saw different pandals on the way back frm office while in bus....
Our building had kept one so there was pooja and last day there was a group prasad dinner tooo
Ghar ka type khana having it seated on ground in leaf plate.....
So did not miss pune -mumbai type ka ganesh chaturthi
infact felt a relief that it was not too noisy.....

Not that i am an ardent fan of festivals...but that it is such a part and parcel of life that it gelled into the routine so much that i did not notice it much and had got used to it
....That was earlier....now i know that how much i or rather everybody considers it a part and parcel of life that we don't notice it unless you miss tht routine some how...

This year Ganpati in US was different to the point that nothing happened ..If it wasn't for the fact that i already knew it I would not have noticed it....

Although climate wise it was exactly typical pune rain which made going out as cumbersome as possible....
Was planning of going to a place called Flushing near New York.....where it seems there are lots of temples....
Unfortunately could not make it as it was raining too much in the morning....and mainly no company....

So just like i did on independance day and raksha bandhan....to get the feel of the festival
played the online song compilation at raaga..... :)
Aarti thiii toh atleast laga toh kiii ganesh pooja kahi toh ho rahee hai

The place I stay had a huge indian presence...so was able to see lots of couples and families in traditional indian gear as in Saree and sherwani types.....
Esp families who went to temple and came back.....

The only high point being missing modaks........ nebody remotely able to get modaks please hav one for my sake :)

Of course had got a lovely SMS in the morning ....so just like back home I forwarded it to one and all.within US and back home india jayega kii nahi no guarantee.....
Only after forwarding did I realise that even to receive a sms here it is charged....
So all those who got my message bechare charge padd gaya hoga ......

Neways for all those back home ...don't take Ganpati for granted and njoiii the elephant headed god for a fortnight more....Hav a blast....and lots of sweets tooo....

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi.......

Warm regards,
Tina.