TreeLog

Today we celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, in honour of the elephant headed god Ganesha. He is worshipped as the remover of obstacles and god of wisdom. Ganesha has many names and the most popular ones are Vigneshwar, Ganapathi, Gajanana and Vinayaka.

My ancestors came from Maharashtra, a state in the West of India. They came to Mauritius as immigrants and have kept the traditions of the Maharashtrian culture alive. Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the main festivals celebrated by the Marathi community in Mauritius.

I grew up celebrating this festival every year.  My grandparents used to host the Ganapathi bappa idol (handmade from earth) in their home and it was a moment of pure joy, togetherness and sharing.

I love the simple olden days of celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi which were filled with traditions taught by our ancestors. Food, clothing, rituals and music which we would experience only during this festival.

A highlight of Ganesh Chaturthi is the traditional dance known as jhakri. We dance and sing in circles with the music instruments being played live.

What is the significance of Ganesh Chaturthi? It is a festival to celebrate Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati. He is the first god that hindus invoke before prayers. 

Under British rule in India, Lokmanya Tilak started the Ganesh Chaturthi festival to bring people together. In Mauritius we share this togetherness with people of all communities. 

Today we went to the seaside for the visarjan ceremony where we left the Ganesh idol to dissolve in the sea while singing the lines “ Ganpathi bappa morya, purchay varshi lawkar ya” meaning Praise to Lord Ganpathi, please come back to us quickly next year… 

It is a symbolic farewell where the idol made of earth goes back to Mother Nature, dissolving our egos and reminding us that nothing in life is permanent.

Ganpathi bappa morya!