A different Ganesha
If Mayor Kishore Pednekar even partly implements what she said, it could be Ganesha’s best gift to his devotees. He will live up to his reputation as the god who demolishes obstacles.
Sanjay Nagral
Aug 21, 2020, Mumbai Mirror
Last September in this column, I wrote a piece titled ‘The other Rajas of Lalbaug-Parel’. The ‘Rajas’ are the massive Ganesha idols that dot this area of Mumbai during Ganpati festival. They are visited by thousands of faithful who brave long serpentine queues for hours to get a glimpse.
The piece was an attempt to remind our collective memory about the important medical institutions that are present in this central Mumbai locality. It was also a call to recognise their contribution. I wrote, ‘Today public medicine in Mumbai is being stymied and eclipsed by a large number of swanky corporate hospitals. But it is these institutions in which common citizens put their faith and trust. In a city being steamrolled by a rapacious model of development, an acknowledgement and reminder of the role of these public scientific institutions in our progress is an important antidote. In other words, it’s time to publicly recognise these other remarkable Rajas of Lalbaug Parel.’
I had no premonition whatsoever of what is coming when I wrote this; about how relevant these words may sound in the future. At that time the virus had not started its destructive journey even in Wuhan. But the slow side-lining of public institutions was there for all to see. The yearly monsoon spikes of dengue and malaria tested the city’s healthcare. Of course, no one could have predicted this current rather brutal test.
I grew up in central Mumbai getting a ringside view of the transformation of Ganpati festival. In my childhood, it brought together residents of our colony in a communitarian spirit of fun and intermingling. It was also a time when we visited family and friends who hosted the idol in their homes. For me, it meant a trip to my mother’s family home in the bylanes of Girgaum where Tilak had conceptualised the idea in an effort to rally people against the British. Catching up with small talk, savouring modaks and the intriguing ritual of offering money to the idol were highlights of these visits.
The public Ganesha slowly morphed. He acquired a bigger size and political significance. The festival soon became an assertion of political identity, especially of the locals who were feeling overwhelmed by the dominance of other communities. Soon the celebrations were industrial in scale, an advertising jamboree and an opportunity for political chest thumping. And, of course, a good source of income for the mandals, sometimes through demand passing off as donation.
The festival also provided an opportunity for the young of a certain class to dance with gay abandon with the social sanction that a festival provides. The rich had the opportunity in parties and discotheques for long. The poor seized the streets.
This year’s festival, starting tomorrow, is likely to be muted. It will hopefully be a low-key private affair. There is an alternative quiet way of celebrating festivals that we have forgotten. Many communities do it routinely. It will certainly reduce the shocking noise pollution that it causes. I should know. I live in a lane, whwich is one of the roads leading to an immersion beach. Those few days of the year are an assault on our ears and senses.
Over the years, some of the Ganesha mandals have used their reach for socially meaningful activities. They organise blood donation camps, promote organ donation and spread messages on civic issues. Many of these are transient and strong on optics. Perhaps Covid is an opportunity for the mandals to rethink. First about the current form of the festival that puts a severe strain on the city’s public services and is a health hazard. Moreover, to engage and advocate on issues of governance which affect their daily lives. After all, they are a powerful voice of the common people in the state.
The pandemic has rattled all of us forcing us to revisit our long-held beliefs. But even by this measure, one heard an astounding statement from the Mayor of Mumbai, Kishori Pednekar of the Shiv Sena, on the eve of the festival. She said, “This pandemic has taught us a very important lesson. Rather than spending money on constructing mandirs, masjids, churches and gurdwaras, we need to focus on health infrastructure – like constructing hospitals. Religious places are important but now health should be given more importance.”
Ms Pednekar is a nurse but she belongs to a party that ruled this city mainly by appealing to emotive issues. If she even partly implements what she said, it could be Ganesha’s best gift to his devotees. He will live up to his reputation as ‘Vighnaharta’, the god who demolishes obstacles.