I am following up on my last post. If any one of you are thinking of getting hold of Lord Ganapati, it is too late. I had misjudged the popularity of the lord.
One of my friends came to the clinic this morning. As he walked in, he had to pass the shelf on which I had placed the wallplate. He saw it and stopped in his tracks. “Arey, Dagadu Sheth Ganapati. How beautiful! Where did you get this?” he exclaimed.
I told him that one of my friends whose tooth I removed, had given it to me. (I did not mention it was in lieu of my fee.)
“You are lucky. This Ganapati is very powerful. Keep it in some nice place and put a red flower on it everyday.”
I asked him if he liked it?
“Yes. It is very nice.”
I told him that if he has no objections he can take it.
“No, No, who ever gave it to you, did so with the intention that you should have it. I can’t take it”
I told him that I have had it for few days and now I intend that he should take it. I also told him that I did not know the worth of it and did not even recognize it as Dagadu Sheth Ganapati. I added that since he reveres the lord and is very knowledgeable about him, he is the right person to have it.
He accepted it gratefully and said “Today is sankashti.(a day in the lunar calendar month specially suited for worshipping Lord Ganapati) On top of it, it is a Tuesday. A very rare and auspicious combination. We are having Ganapti pooja at home this evening. I am feeling as if the lord has come home for the purpose. I have an old Ganapati photo above my table in my office. After today’s pooja, I will place this there and remove the old one. It is a very good day today.” He thanked me profusely and left.
I could not help compare his reaction with mine “Oh god, one more Ganapati. What am I going to do with this. I will keep it out here and if somebody says it is nice, I will offer it to them. Why do people give these things and put me in trouble?”
I can never stop wondering about the variety in human nature.
Incidentally Dagadu Sheth Ganapati is the most famous and popular amongst all the ‘sarvajanik’ Ganapatis in Pune. Lakhs of people wait in mile long queue for his darshan and the jewellery that he is wearing is pure gold and diamonds worth crores.
Now the interesting part of the story is that this friend of mine had come to my clinic to fit the voltage stabiliser that he had repaired, and he usually does not charge me anything for his services. I had been feeling that I should pay him something and since you have already understood the interesting part, I will not waste anymore words.
2 comments:
:))))
First of all congratulations on saying vidaya to the Ganesha.
I would like to say a few things.
Firstly a request: I have a couple of ganesha photos and lots of vigrahas made of dift materials, got as gifts, (but not as fees like you got). I would like to display them all in your clinic and you can donate them to whoever wants them or to whomever you want and win their good will, thereby winning my good will too.
If you were a resident of Blore, this would not have been a problem at all. Because trees give shelter to all gods. Whichever god you dont want, you can quietly put him/her under any tree in any road. As simple as that. We can find old ones, new ones, those eaten by cockroaches and termites etc. under the tree. But I dont want to throw god into the street.
Though we had requested the guests at our daughter's wedding not to bring gifts, she did get some. There are some 10 gods, 20 mug sets, casseroles, many other articrafts. Collections from our both daughters' weddings are still in OUR loft. Daughters' houses are clean, with no unwanted things!
Since I found you very successful in disposing god, I think it is easier for you to do so with other things as well. So please wait for a parcel tomorrow from me. Thank you in advance.
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