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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

Ganpati Bappa Morya

It's that time of the year when the Lord turns up, at almost every house in the vicinity - small and big alike. He may be tiny or huge, pot bellied or traditional, or in a modern avatar, but his presence is visible at every corner. Since the past few years, we have made our own clay idol of Lord Ganesha at home, a task I really missed this year. However, my mother gave me the opportunity today, and here is the idol I made for her....


He is a tiny chap, small and cute (I think!!), and he would have been a simple Lord, had it not been for my aunt, who brought out these tiny little pieces of jewelry, which we then used to decorate Him. Tonight, he sits peacefully on a betel leaf, waiting for the prayers to begin tomorrow.

He is the Lord of new beginnings, the remover of obstacles. Technically, we aren't supposed to celebrate any festivals in a house of mourning, but it is in times like these that we need Him the most. I pray to Him to bestow His grace upon us all.....

Ganpati Bappa Morya!!!! 

Comments

  1. He is cute and on the first glance, appears to be made-up of sweets
    Regards :)
    Our new post is
    http://india-wildlife-tour.blogspot.in/2013/09/an-insight-inside-dudhwa-national-park.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you!!! that was the response I recd from many people. the dark brown colour probably reminds u of chocolate!!!

      Delete
  2. Very cute Ganapathi. Do u have Navaratri this year ? Am waiting to see ur preparations n celebrations .. Even we keep gombe/dolls for Navaratri n need some tips from u as we r still beginners .. Ur blog is just wonderful n we enjoy going through it. Its Awesome

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Sowmya. no, we dont have navaratri this year, but i will be happy to help you out!

      Delete

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