Ganesha's Birthday Party - Vidhun Purandhar

 

Ganesha's Birthday Party


It was his big day. Ganesha was all dressed up, with garlands and blouses adorning him, listening to some good music while placed on a chariot. Although it happened every year, it just never got old, and Ganesha would cherish the ceremony of him parading through the bustling streets of Isha Armonia Apartments.

The chariot was made of wood, but it was hidden underneath the flashy red sari with gold borders and intricate patterns. People pulled the chariot to move around the place. He was seated, like a king, on a high stool, adorned with flowers and a festive vibe, and in front of that, on the sari, mud sculptures of him eating his favorite laddoos, kozhukattais and him playing with his pet rat were placed, decorated with tiny garlands.

The boss stopped at every block, and he gave answers to the truthful prayers and gifted the residents holy ash. Water was sprinkled wherever he would go, to make the roads clean for him. Wherever he went, there would be crowds of people with a desire to catch a glimpse of the celebrity.

After circling the entire apartment, The chariot would be parked in a corner, where Ganesha would be forgotten for the day and his fun time would be over.

Or would it?

His soul will take place of the Ganesha, or Anandha Vinayakar, in the shrine. It was naked, made up of stone, and was covered by the tapestry so no one could see him taking bath until his grand reveal, all dressed up in the most beautiful of clothes and ornaments. It felt rejuvenating; taking a cold bath for two solid hours after a public procession would feel good, won't it? People were praising him in varieties of ragas and languages, and was given food to nourish, after taking bath, like a schoolboy getting ready for his first day. And finally, after a long time, he was shown.

He was as beautiful as ever - decorated with turmeric powder, kumkumam and a garland of red roses, yellow chrysanthemum and a bunch of other flowers, blouses in diverse colours - purple, green, red and blue. He was stunning, and people offered prayers, some gave their birth star, and at the end, the residents happily ate the prasadam, chatting about what they prayed for, some grandmas gossiping, friends talking about their school stuff, and moms feeding their children while fabricating stories for them. 

Ganesha was looking at this, and thought to himself that he threw a good birthday party, and he really did a good job.

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