Ganesh Chaturthi 2023: How Mumbai’s different communities are bringing in festivities this year

Mumbai-based Saritha Iyer is one among many Tamilians, who make and celebrate the best of both worlds during this time of the year for Ganesh Chaturthi; this year is going to be no different for her. The marketing consultant's family started their festival celebrations yesterday, as per the Tamilian calendar, but are going to enjoy every bit of it over the next few days.

"This time, I am committed to celebrating the festival in an eco-friendly manner by respecting our environment and traditions." Iyer and her family have used eco-friendly materials like sprouts and pulses, that dissolve easily in the water, which is then used for their garden. "Instead of immersing the idol in public water bodies, we are going to do it at home to minimise any gatherings." The 34-year-old, like many Mumbaikars is all set for Ganeshotsav, which begins today and will continue for the next 10 days.

Every year, the festival starts with Ganesh Chaturthi, as Mumbaikars welcome the elephant-headed god into their homes annually to worship and celebrate him by not only praying to him but also enjoying a lot of good food including modaks, known to be his favourite, according to Hindu mythology. Called the remover of obstacles and the God of Wisdom, devotees conclude their festival by immersing him in their local water bodies, while simultaneously saying, "Ganpati Bappa Morya, Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Ya (Oh Lord Ganpati, Come back early next year)". Over the years, as more people are becoming aware of the need to protect the environment by avoiding the use of POP idols, many of them make or buy eco-friendly idols, and Iyer is one such Mumbaikar to adopt the practice.

A touch of Tamil culture
Apart from her eco-friendly celebrations, Thanekar has also taken a conscious step to indulge in healthier sweets, that she says, not only satisfy the taste buds but also promote well-being; it is her way of blending tradition with a sustainable and healthy approach. Even as they have taken these steps, they will continue their rich cultural traditions that are unique to the community. She explains, "While Mumbai is famous for its grand Ganesh pandals, we create smaller, intricately decorated ones that showcase unique aspects of Tamil culture and artistry. Family members usually dress in traditional attire like saris and dhotis, adding a touch of cultural elegance to the celebration."

Residing in Mumbai, Iyer says, they have a beautiful fusion of Tamil and Maharashtrian cultures, which translates into a unique blend of traditions in more than one way. She shares, "Alongside traditional bhajans (devotional songs), we have the melodious strains of Carnatic music during this time of the year, showcasing the rich musical heritage of Tamil culture." It is not only the attire and music but also the kollam designs, which are made with coloured rice flour. "In addition to the customary modak, there is a delightful spread of Tamil dishes like sambar, dosa and vada as a part of the festive feast," she adds. This time, the healthy alternatives at her home include substituting sugar with jaggery, and making idlis from ragi batter, and frying vadas with minimum cold-pressed oil.

Continuing with tradition
Elsewhere in Mumbai, Ganeshotsav is a very special festival for Archana Ahire because even after her marriage, she goes to her father's house in Andheri from Dadar to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi. The 54-year-old shares, "It has been more than 30 years that I have been going to my father's home for Ganpati celebrations. I go a night before Bappa's ‘aagman' to help my family with all the preparations that include decor and food. There is added fun in helping with the décor because every year we decide on a theme for decor. This year, we will be recreating the ISRO Chandrayaan mission."

Such is the excitement for the festival that the family doesn't only involve adults but also children in the making of the decorations. The doors are adorned with garlands and a platter of fruits welcomes Lord Ganesha, who is then fitted with a crown, ornaments and gold hibiscus that is placed in his hand. "The ladies of the house help my mother in the kitchen to prepare the feast which includes dishes such as ukdiche modak, rushi chi bhaji, koshimbir, varan bhaat, shravani bhendi chi bhaji and alu wadi. This is the naivedya we offer to Lord Ganesha, after which we do the aarti." Those who fast eat sabudana khichdi/vada and drink a cup of tea, she shares, and then break it after offering the naivedya.

So, when the Mumbai-based school principal tells us she is looking forward to the celebrations, we aren't surprised because she wasn't able to do it to the full extent during the last few years of the Covid-19 pandemic. As celebrating in large groups wasn't advised, Ahire wasn't able to visit her father's home. "During the pandemic, I didn't go anywhere especially my home because my mother is really old, and I did not want to expose her to any kind of infection. This year though, there is no restriction, so it's great to meet all the cousins and spend a gala time with them during such festivals. It is a good way to reconnect with all, chit-chat and go down memory lane," she adds.

While Ahire is very excited for the festival, even the younger generation is making the most of their time as they spend it with family among their busy schedule and city-based student Sanya Wadkar is one of them. The 25-year-old says her home will be filled with enthusiasm and devotion as always. She shares, "We plan to decorate our home for Lord Ganesha with vibrant colourful decorations and beautiful flowers. We will perform daily rituals, including the aarti and offering prasadam to the deity. We will also invite close family and friends to join us in this joyous celebration."

It is an aspect that the Wadkars couldn't fully entertain during the Covid-19 pandemic due to safety concerns, because of which it was limited only to immediate family members but this time around, they are leaving no stone unturned in their celebrations. "We prepare a variety of traditional dishes as offerings to Lord Ganesha, including modaks, laddoos, and kheer. These offerings hold great significance, as they are believed to be Lord Ganesha's favourite sweets. Additionally, we conduct daily prayers and aarti in the morning and evening. These traditions create a deep sense of connection and spirituality within our family, making Ganesh Chaturthi truly special for us," adds the Bandra resident.

Just like Iyer, Ahire and Wadkar, Ganeshotsav is going to be bigger and better at Shriya Ramnathkar's home with vibrant, colourful and eco-friendly decorations. The Mumbaikar, who is also a Bandra resident like Wadkar, shares, "This year we are celebrating the colours of joy that Ganpati Bappa brings with his arrival, since it is the 52nd year of Ganesh Chaturthi at Ramnathkars." Being part of a big family, the 27-year-old says Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the mandatory occasions where they welcome all their relatives to their house, which easily makes it a celebration of the family coming together. "It is an aspect of the celebration that we missed terribly during the pandemic years, especially our 50th year of Ganesh Sthapana," she adds.

Beyond marking 52 years, the Ramnathkars will indulge in a variety of different food items. She explains, "Since we belong to the Goud Saraswat Brahmins (GSB) community, on the first day we make ‘Talaniche' (fried) modaks along with ‘Ukadiche' (steamed) modaks. We also make ‘patoli' (steamed sweet) wrapped in haldi (turmeric) leaves, which is an exquisite GSB sweet that is made during festivals." On the second day, the Ramnathkars have ‘Khad Khad' and ‘Rushi chi bhaji' - traditional sabzi, made from vegetables that grow only during this season, and eaten by the community. "When we do the visarjan, we have a tradition of offering dahi (curd) and Lahya (puffed rice) to Bappa," shares the Mumbaikar, echoing the sentiment of many Mumbaikars who will be celebrating Ganeshotsav this year.