Ganpati Bappa Moraya: Part One

Preparations for Welcoming Ganpati Bappa

We had to visit our hometown for Ganpati celebration this year. It was the first time that all the members in my family would be going. Last year I had got our native house painted with Asian Paints before Ganesh festival. This year I was going to watch it in person. All the last-minute preparations were done. As usual office work is never ending. I completed as much as I could till the last day. We boarded the bus for our village at 6:30pm from Virar on 16th Sept. Little did I know that this would be the most hectic and tiring journey till now. We drove from Virar, picked a few passengers at Nallasopara, then drove via the Dahisar-Andheri metro route. We picked a few passengers at Malad and then the final lot at Santacruz at midnight. There was huge traffic till here. We had our dinner box in the bus itself, while the luggage was getting loaded at Santacruz. It was already past 12am now and we had not even left Mumbai. The most annoying part was that we had our first washroom break at 5am and that too at the portable washrooms. Wearing the mask helped in cutting off the smell which a person has to go through while using these toilets. We crossed Raigad before noon. Prior to that we had the second washroom break near a hotel. The washrooms were clean here. We also had some dry snacks here since the bus was not going to stop again for washroom break or lunch break. Post noon we entered Ratnagiri. Passengers started alighting from the bus at their respective villages. The final stop was my village, we reached at 6:30pm. The earth completed a rotation, while I reached from Virar to Benagi. 

My cousin's and family were ready to welcome us and also picked up some of the luggage. They had already opened and cleaned our home. We reached our home, freshened up and had evening tea. Post that we set the luggage, my mother and aunty set the kitchen. My cousin brothers got into setting up the puja room for Ganpati Bappa. Let me take you for my home tour. The entry room is the puja room, where we have the Ganpati Bappa as well. 

The second room is with the adjacent kitchen. 

Then the stairs to the first floor. 

There is a balcony, a long room and adjacent small room with roof storage. 

We had dinner and slept peacefully after a long tiring journey.

A day prior to the festival: 18.09.2023

I woke up to the sound of chirping birds instead of my alarm. No Monday blues today. I brushed my teeth and had a bath. Then I had fresh coconut water and malai. 

Such a nice start for the day. We had chores to complete like filling the water, washing clothes, preparing poha for breakfast, do with the utensils, etc. The decoration was complete. It was already late in the afternoon by the time we completed our work. We had lunch and rested for a while. Then we(the cousin gang) and cousin granny had to trek uphill for picking up something. 

We walked for 15mins uphill and then landed on the rice fields at 3:15pm. We walked to the little house we have on the rice fields where the rice grains are stored, and tools of farming are kept and where the farmers have lunch and rest a bit. 

Then we enjoyed the lake water. 

Post that we walked our way to the mango and cashew-nut plantation. There was a banana tree as well and we had to pick the banana leaves. 

Done with the purpose of coming to the top, we rested for a while and also tried luck on the network. We descended at 4pm, from another route of stones. 

We reached our village base at 4:25pm. I wanted to see our Ganpati Bappa idol, my siblings and cousins have already seen it! I went ahead with my father to the cashew-nut factory which is turned into an idol making place during the festival. The sarvajanik Ganpati included only the one in school, while the rest were home Ganpati idols. Each idol looked beautiful and different. 

The finishing touches were being applied to the idols and then were covered with cloth. Some children were volunteering in painting the idols, while some were watching the same. While I appreciated the idols, my eyes were searching for my Ganpati Bappa! The completed ones were kept in another room. Our's was third in the first row. Finally, I saw my Ganpati Bappa! Coming to take you home tomorrow. 

We further went to the Shri Krishna Mandir built in 2017. It felt peaceful sitting there for a while. 

Then we returned home. On the way to our home, I watched every house prepping up to welcome Ganpati Bappa. Our decoration was completed, we had dinner, completed the night chores and went to sleep.

Read next: Ganpati Bappa Moraya: Part Two