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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

One Last Ganpati Before Its Time to Bid Him Goodbye!

Tomorrow, we bid goodbye to Ganesha, and have to wait for one full year before he arrives again. I have taken you along as I visited Ganeshas all over Mumbai, and there is just enough time to share with you the last one for this year........

This one is the one in our colony - the Chedda Nagar Ganpati.



The decoration features the one person who is probably the most popular this year -  Anna Hazare!



It shows India being pulled down by our corrupt politicians, and Anna Hazare cutting the rope of corruption they use to pull the country down. Samhith wondered why they hadnt shown Anna Hazare blessing Anna so that all our problems would be solved immediately! If only it was so easy!

However, for Samhith, the major attraction was this... the entrance..... This is how it looked on the first day....



This is how it looked on the 9th day.....



and here is Samhith adding his words to it!


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Comments

  1. That's a nice theme for Ganesh chaturthi...nice viewing your Ganesha pics from this lovely festival.

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  2. Interesting! I agree with Samhith! Your Ganpati series have been a real treat to watch, thanks for all the share! I am trying to put up one last one tomorrow too before the visarjans begin!

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  3. Very cute on Samhith's part. He's already a responsible citizen, all thanks to you Anu.

    I liked the fact that you clicked the picture of wall on the 1st day also for comparison. Many times we forget to do so.

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  4. What a wonderful post,especially loved the pic where Samhith is adding his mite to the wall :)

    Enjoyed his handiwork of Ganesh idol too which you had posted on Arti's blog :)

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  5. Thanks Arti! I would love to post a last one about the immersion, but its so crowded I tend to avoid stepping out on such days... lets see what He has in mind!

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  6. Thanks so much, Nisha! I actually visited and took pics of the Ganesha on the very first day..... and then waited for the last day to take  a pic so i could post!

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  7. Hope my pics and blog helped u instead of making you feel more homesick!

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  8. Very interesting.  Surely now the responsibilities shift to Samhit too and he is proving it. Cheddanagar is even otherwise famous for the unique temple.

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  9. Looks like you folks are having a good time and the lokwall seems to be very popular...Thomas

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  10. Thanks! I do hope he handles the responsibilities well when the time comes.. after all, that is what every parent really wants! and yes, chedda nagar's temple is famous... and the ganpati is getting to be, too!

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  11. Nice to see you here, Thomas, after so long! and guess the Lok Wall was popular more for the interaction it allowed with the ganpati!

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  12. I finally like the Chedda Nagar Ganpati! Wish I was there! Seriously missed all the Ganpati hungama this year. There is nothing close to samoohik about the Ganpati in Delhi :( Was reminded of our darshan trip couple of years ago. Did you and Samhith go this year too?

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  13. I thought u would have liked it! and yes, we went on the same round, and remembered u too... chembur and matunga both!

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  14. From now on chhedanagar would be famous for chhedanagar.com as well :)
    Still need to add data on contacts and a forum link on different topics. Would be ready completely in a weeks time.

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