Happy Ganesh

“Happy Ganesh” is a very common greeting that you will come across in Goa, at ‘Ganesha chaturti’ time. It is not ‘Happy Ganesh chaturti’ or ‘Happy Ganesha festival'or any such thing. Just ‘Happy Ganesh’, short and neat, whatever it means.

I do not know how ‘Happy’ lord Ganesh will be this time, finding himself the subject of a controversy between artistic expression and religious sentiments.
One of the well known artists of Goa Dr. Subodh Kerkar drew some pictures, ‘inspired’ by lord Ganesha ‘commemorating’ Ganesha chaturti. They were timed to be on exhibition for eleven days during ‘chaturti’ , but now, the duration is reduced to two days under police protection. Hindu Janajagruti Samiti and Sanatana saunstha are protesting the exhibition saying that the pictures hurt religious sentiments.
“I am as religious as any of you and a devotee of Lord Ganesha” Dr. Kerkar claimes, “and painting these pictures, for me, is like performing ‘Arati’ to Lord Ganesh.”
What you see below is one of the many “Aratis”, that was in the news papers today.
Lord Ganapati, in ‘talk no evil’, ‘hear no evil’, ‘see no evil’ postures, for which lord Hanuman holds the copy right.



In my opinion these drawings are things that I may not care to take a second look at. I don’t think that anybody would have guessed that the artist has drawn ‘Ganesha’ if he had not labelled them so. I do not have any religious sentiment worth mentioning, and my knowledge of ‘art’ is restricted to appreciating sign boards, hoardings and number plates. Canvas, for me, is something they used to make shoes with and cover the trucks. But, one need not know the subject to give an opinion is it not?

People from other states, who connect Goa only with 'drinks', carnival (the famous writer from Goa Mr. Mario cabral e sa says that even that word is always spelt wrong. It should be ‘Carnaval’) and new year, may not be aware that “Ganesha chaturti” is the most important festival in Goa. The religious rituals are same as in many other states and enough noise is created by ‘Sarvajanik Ganesha mandals’. One difference in the traditional placement of the idol and accompaniments is the hanging of a canopy called ‘Matoli’ in front of the idol. All the seasonal vegetables and fruits are hung from a square wooden frame positioned horizontally at a height, in front of the ‘mantap’ (makhar-in Konkani) of the lord. Anything and everything goes into it. Cucumber, bittergourd, muskmelon, water melon, pumpkin, apple, arecanut, plantains, lady’s finger, brinjal, snake gourd, apple, custard apple, bread fruit, coconut, sweet corn- you name it, it is there.

Two days before the festival, market streets are full of the items used in the ‘Matoli’. Our Bazaar road is closed for vehicular traffic and these items are spread on both sides of the road for sale. I enjoy the sight and like the excitement in the air. The sellers are eager to sell their produce and make enough profit to sail over the festive season and the buyers trying to get the best for their ‘Matoli’ with minimum expense.
By afternoon on ‘chaturti’ there are neither buyers nor sellers on the road and the road is empty. Everyone is busy worshipping the lord and the sound of fire crackers and ‘ghumat’ -the traditional arati accompaniment, fills the air. the unsold matoli items wait to be consumed by stray cattle or to be collected by garbage collectors.
I went there early and managed to take some pictures before the street got crowded.




I feel this scene commemorates ‘Ganesha chaturti’ better. Happy Ganesh.