Today is Ganesh Chaturthi in India. My family is preparing for the festival and everyone is over at my place. Everyone. My favourite cousins, all my aunts and uncles; even the ones that I'm not very fond of.
Ganesh Chaturthi has special significance in my life. Its just the closeness I feel with Ganesha; and I'm not even religious. I don't pray everyday. I don't recite or even remember any mantras. But I still feel very close to Ganesha. Maybe because Ganpati has been a big festival in my family, and I've seen how important it is to my family. Its just the electric atmosphere of my uncle's house - all the women cooking up delicacies, the men chatting over oblivious issues, people catching up, kids playing all over the house, people yelling at these kids, the serene music. How can such a noisy place feel like bliss?
It does. It does. Its so peaceful to watch this scene. Just the hustle-bustle of Ganpati (festival) brings so much energy. Its like the environment is charged.
The high point of this festival (besides food - Modaks yum!), is the Maha-Aarti. My maternal relatives are artists. Each and every person in my family is either a singer, painter, plays the tabla, harmonium, sitar, guitar or all of the above! Needless to say, when all these artists come together, its like one great art festival. Music is the soul of their gatherings. And only they do justice to the Maha-Aarti. Every time, since my childhood, I remember shivers going down my spine when I listen to the Aarti. Its a completely spiritual experience; one, that cannot be experienced anywhere else. Perfect rhythm comes so spontaneously, it looks effortless. The ringing of the "taals" and the beat of the tabla just take one into a trance. I could stand there forever.
Ganpati bappa Morya! :)
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