Lord Ganesh Carolers

At about 10:30pm, we heard drums and horns playing loudly. When we looked outside, we saw a large statue of Ganesh, musicians, dancers and revelers. Ganesh was covered with so many flowers that I would have been unable to identify Him had it not been obvious – this being His birthday week. The statue was on a wagon pulled by a few men. Sitting with Ganesh on the wagon were some children and a man with offerings of flaming incense and food.  The entourage included dozens of merry-makers and a second vehicle – which carried the generator needed to power the powerful lights to illuminate the statue, musicians and dancers. People carried colorful flourishes and two men were present with a very long stick to push the wires up enough so the statue could pass underneath. An extremely loud bang startled us occasionally, which at first I thought was celebratory M-80’s but in retrospect might have been the generator backfiring.

The Ganesh "float"

Closeup of the float

This is a long stick with a Y tied on top to raise the electrical wires so the float can get underneath.

Accompaniment

The generator for the flood lights.

The revelers

Moments like this are like a bizarre vivid dream. I cannot quite figure out what is happening, but I feel the rush of the moment nonetheless.

I was given a handful of sugared corn and some jasmine flowers and a silk shawl was wrapped around me for the photographs. There was something about ashes from the ‘float’ but we could not figure that out. Lots of photos were taken. I think the shawl was needed because I ran out of the house in my “housecoat” and not a proper salwar or sari. Women here wear clothes to their ankles at all times. When I am in the house, I wear shorts and a T-shirt, but I keep my housecoat handy in case someone comes to the door. That is what I threw on when we heard the commotion. I’ve included a picture of just me in the housecoat for your amusement. When in Rome.

Many statues of Ganesh that have been specially made, decorated and are placed around the city near the street for this holiday, often with strings of lights, flowers and elaborate canopies. At the end of the festivities, the statues will be processed to the Bay of Bengal and thrown into the water; the clay returned to the sea.