ganapati 2024 — viva Kishori
Ganapati celebrations are quite the thing for us. I had written about this in a previous post — how it started, the friends that dropped in, what we would do etc — post attached here just in case you missed it. https://abuavanti.medium.com/a-ganapati-story-22-rajmahal-e2a697353566
At the centre of all this; in the proverbial eye of the storm was my Maushi. It meant a lot to her to make sure everything was tip top, everyone was looked after and most importantly every ritual associated with the festival was similar to what was done back home in Goa. Apart from the Aartis everything else was typical Goan. The Aartis in Goa are more stylised, each one set to a different tune, different instruments et al. In Mumbai we do things in a rush. This day and a half she was completely immersed in the service of her lord, right from the time she ushered the lord in to the final goodbye at the beach. The flowers for the ladies, the fruits on the “maatoli”, the things to be sent with the lord at immersion (food, change, a mouth freshener veedo, a candle), and the endless cups of tea.
She would always have some little gift or a Rs 50 note for any child who came over, a saree for a newly wed, prasaad had to go back with everyone who visited — how she managed to keep track only she knew. Most of all remember her when all was done; the final Aarti i.e. just after the puffed rice and curd were offered by everyone present — that when she would have a short silent prayer — just about a minute or so — the chaos would somehow be stymied, there was pin drop silence — just her, the lord and her faith.
She would pray for her children, her extended family, our friends, everyone present and absent. I remember her waving out when we turned around with the idol just before immersing it into the sea.
This year around, we miss her presence. Her lord does not.
I woke up a few nights ago to the image of her weaving him a small garland for her lord. She was happy. She was smiling. And all felt well in this world.
Viva Kishori.
