Ganesh Utsav or Utsav Ganesh?

'Festival' or 'show off'?

By Aboli Lokhande

The other day, in the morning, a group of chanda collectors knocked our door.

“Madam ‘Ganpatichi Vargani’”, they said.

“How much?”, I asked

“This year rs. 600 m’m, compulsory”, said the group

“Pardon me? Are you joking?” I said “It’s too much to afford”

“M’m, we have chalked out the plan and we worked out 600rs contribution per family”, they said firmly.

“It’s impossible, we have to celebrate Ganapati at home too, we can’t afford”, I continued

The conversation between me and the group went on for near about 15 minutes. The group and I both felt that we were losing our good terms because of money. Is it really worth to spend so much money to come closer as society members?

When the festival was conceptualized originally by Lokmanya Tilak, the idea was entirely different. The tradition started several years back, his idea was to make people aware and unite them for freedom struggle against the British Raj. And, he was successful.

After 66 years since Independence, we are still following this tradition with some modifications. It has become more of an enjoyment less of an awareness exercise. People are more aware about tools of enjoyment but less aware of side effects of these tools. Ganesh Mandals are more aware about collecting money but less aware of its utilization. They are more interested in making the festival a ‘hit event’ but are less involved in Ganesh poojan. 

Published on editorial page in The Hitavada on September 5, 2013

 Do we really need this kind of a political event in every sense? This question is occupying my mind for last few years. Isn’t it disturbing when chanda collectors insult people who refuse to contribute in monetary terms? Isn’t it disturbing when these office-bearers of Ganesh Mandals terrorise people for collecting hefty sum only to get money and make the pious festival a grand event to show off? Did Lokmanya started Ganesh Utsav for collecting huge sums of money for celebrations? Was this tradition followed religiously by countless Ganesh Mandals only to collect money?

In metro cities, we enjoy see the community celebrate Ganesh Utsav. But, many films have portrayed how this Utsav is being used for some vicious purpose right under the deity’s idol. There is a competition of sorts between Ganesh Mandals -- who will manage the event professionally and make it a hit? Professional orchestras, individual singers, groups of artists, organizers of fairs, makers of thermocol items, painters earn well during this period. Everywhere, there is a competitive presentation through spending huge money.

Isn’t it very simple that families in a colony come together, contribute voluntarily, and organize programmes during 10-day festival? Isn’t it appropriate to celebrate the festival not for the sake of ‘showing off’ to others but to enjoy and forge stronger ties with each other? Isn’t it proper to help bring out hidden qualities in each other? Doesn’t this provide opportunity to all of us to keep aside excuses for not meeting throughout the year, and mingle with each other during 10-day festival? Even though we do not meet each other too frequently, the strong bonds developed through such festivities bring us so close that we can rush to each other’s help right in the dead of the night.

Isn’t it very simple? Doesn’t it serve the purpose of uniting the community well? What might have Lokmanya thought if he had seen this? He might have started a new struggle to give country freedom from these ill practices.  He would have raised voice against issues plaguing the country through this festival -- division between men and women, rich and poor, literates and illiterates, urban and rural populace, Left and Right etc. Once again, he would have raised voice against ‘divide and rule’ policy that the British rulers had adopted during pre-Independence period and political parties are adopting today in the name of cast and religion.

Definitely, Lokmanya Tilak would have raised voice against corruption. He would have made people aware about their right to choose good government. Again, he would have prayed to Lord Ganesha to give strength to unite India to fight these problems.

Unfortunately, today, we are still fighting to win competition of grand Ganesh Utsav. Instead of competing with each other for supremacy or grandeur of celebration, Lokmanya would have prepared India as a country to overcome the problems.

Are we really ready to carry forward the legacy and idea of Lokmanya Tilak?