Chaturthi

Chaturthi is big in Goa - a lot bigger than Diwali. This year heavy rains kept lashing the state, but did little to dampen the festive season. There's something very beautiful about the whole thing.. the 3 days of veg food - always the same varan bhaat, batatachi bhaaji, patoli - and then the youngsters trying to bring in some modern menu items like gobi manchurian, to the shock and delight of everyone... the non-stop devotional CDs playing all around you from 5:00 am add tremendously to the atmosphere. All the cousins and kids miling around, visiting each other. Yes, we cannot do the Ritz party, and we cannot venture out much in the evenings, and have to be home for the aartis, but it's time to be with family, have joke sessions, antaksharis, tang and noodles at night.. lay kilometers of beddings and plop down like vehicles in a giant parking lot... tired... but not yet ready to retire for the night.. the stories of Chimulkar's ghost, now part of our family folklore, start making the rounds... and then it's morning, and yet another glorious day

Coming back to Pune today, had to rush to office for a little time, and there I was trying to work, with a Ganesh mandal close by playing aratis on a loud speaker, and I was instantly transported to Goa, to Nerul, to the last 3 beautiful days spent there... and "pudchya varshi lavkar ya" couldn't have been more apt!

We really need to do the 5 day Ganapati next year!