Ganesh Chaturthi (in my world)

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi everyone! The Ganesh puja in Hyderabad has always been special for me. Thats the one festival everyone makes sure to be home for. This year was no different. It was filled with fun with the family, great food, and of course, the festivities. What made it all the more special were the small things that happened in between all of this.

We convinced everyone that this year we would go eco-friendly. We bought a Ganesha made of clay. That was special. We bought a Ganesha that would not pollute the lake. We even managed to convince the other families to do the same. Its bad enough that the big muthis are destroying the lakes; we're doing the ecosystem a favor by cleaning it up one idol at a time. Scary thought but if the water of our lake ever dried up, we'd see a graveyard of idols! I'm willing to bet anything that if Ganesha could speak up, he would not be too happy with what we do to his idols each year. Save the city people.. save tank bund, lest it become 'tank bandh.'

I went shopping with my grandmother. She has shopping all figured out. Its fun to watch someone who knows where to shop and how much to bargain for. Its a talent. So, while we shopped, this lady came up with her baby and started to beg for money. The kid was old enough to be left alone while she works but she chose to beg instead. As expected, she got a lecture from my grandmother. No one gets away from those. After sending that woman away, she made me buy two bananas for them and made me peel them before giving it to them. That was to ensure that the woman fed the child. Small thing I know but I think my grandmom is awesome in ways like that.



Amidst all the pandals, the band-baaja, and the festivities, these small things stood out to make the whole festival so memorable. These make the festival worth celebrating!