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2023 - The Year That Was

Places impact you for a variety of reasons. And the same place impacts different people in different ways. This is especially true when it comes to spiritual experiences, where every single person’s experience is unique. And personally, every spiritual experience is unique, the same person can have different deeply spiritual experiences at different places, at different times. This thought has emerged because of my own experiences over the years, but especially so this year, with different and unique experiences at various places I have visited recently. I began this year with a visit to Baroda (Vadodara) with friends. It was meant to be a relaxed trip, a touristy trip, with our sons. We enjoyed ourselves to the hilt, but the highlight of that trip was a visit to the Lakulisha temple at Pavagadh. It was the iconography of the temple that I connected with, and I spent a few hours simply lost in the details of the figures carved around the temple. There was an indefinable connect with

Some Ganeshas at Chembur

Having finished with the distant Ganesha pandals, we decided to head for a shorter trip closer home in Chembur. Two of the oldest and most popular Ganeshas in Chembur are those at R.K. Studios and the Duke’s Factory. Of course, there are other bigger Ganeshas too – the Chembur-cha Raja in Camp and the many others in the vicinity, and the extravagant Tilak Nagar Ganesha, but these usually have a long queue waiting for darshan, something for which I lack patience. We started with the aim of visiting just these two Ganeshas, but managed a couple more interesting ones on the way. Come, take a look….

We started with the Ganesha at the Duke’s factory – that’s the one making the famous ‘Duke’s Soda’. The factory employees have installed a Ganesha here for years, and it is one of the most popular ones, for they not only have a huge idol of the lord, but also work hard for the theme of the year.






This year, the theme was Krishna Leela – an episode from the life of Krishna – the part where Krishna kills Putana. As the recorded narrative blared in the background, the images of Kamsa, Krishna and Putana moved forward and backward, with the sound and light effects adding drama to the scene, Samhith stood enthralled without moving once from his position! Needless to say, this has been his favourite Ganesha so far!!!!



Out on the road in a small enclosure was another Ganesha. We peeped in, only to see an interesting form of the lord – made in the image of his father – lord Shiva.



The R.K. Studio Ganpati was installed by the late Raj Kapoor himself at his studio, and the family carries on the tradition dutifully. This is again one of the most popular Ganeshas in Chembur, but thankfully, there wasn’t much of a crowd… The decoration was simple, but beautiful, and just outside were images of the Ashta Vinayakas.



Right next to the studio was another company – I think, Pratibha Industries, who also had a beautiful Ganesha.



This one had Shiva and Parvati on a swing, which was being rocked by Ganesha’s vehicle – the mouse!



As we walked along the road, looking for an auto to take us back home, Samhith wanted to enter every colony which seemed to have installed a Ganesha. It was with great reluctance that I dragged him back home, for it was getting late, and I had loads of work to do. For once, I wished his school would end early so we would have more time for Ganesh – darshan! On second thoughts, it is probably better this way – otherwise, I wouldn’t get any work done! And how would I write my blogs then?????



Comments

  1. haha yes true they are truely magnetic and u can stay starring at them :)

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  2. I'm so pleased you are writing about this and sharing these pics with us. I've been waiting eagerly to see them... I like the first one as well.. very impressive!

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  3. All such beautiful idols. Great festive post!

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  4. Some lovely shots of this grand festival....very nice!

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  5. Finally I visited Chembur.
    Thanking you for the post.

    ReplyDelete
  6. You have a lovely collection Anu, nice images and interesting creations, I particularly liked the one where Ganesha is in Siva's avatar.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I would like to exchange links with your site www.blogger.com
    Is this possible?

    ReplyDelete

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