This is the end

Today is 3-September. The final and biggest day of Ganesh Visarjan.We are taught in history class that B.G. Tilak started the concept of Sarvajanik Ganesh Utsav to mobilize the people of British India in to a common cause for freedom.

So very ironic that while the festival has stuck on the culture of Mumbai, today it is in competition mode. Every area will have atleast 10 pandals competing each other.

Thinking more deeply, I wonder the true significance of today. 3-September, the day that Ganeshji will bid audiu in the grand finale of several hundreds and thousands of immersions in to the Arabian sea.

Lord Ganesha is called “Vignahartha” – he who removes all obstacles. Ganesha is the start of anything good. It suddenly seems so significantly symbolic or divine design that Ganesha utsav was used by Tilak to “start”  the united resistance movement against the British. An auspicious beginning. In the same breath it also symbolizes that everything good which starts has also to end – even if it is Ganesha.

Today 3-September, this symbolism is on the top of my mind. All these days the faithful joyously brought the Ganesha home, full of faith and hope of a new beginning.

And Today is the day they will bid a final goodbye, I think there can be no better symbolism than this. The Ganesha telling us that even his auspicious and happy start has a tearful and sad audieu. The grand rituals which accompany this journey with aartis on the beach before the immersion, picking up the sand where the Ganesha will finally rest, attention to detail that he always faces towards the west – the direction of the setting sun.

I do hope that millions of faithful who will join this final procession will take this thought to heart on today 3-september. Every beautiful start has an end facing it even when as it begins. All man can do is live through it grandly and cherish the memories and raise the final cry “Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Ya” (Come back early next year). This reminds of the wonderful Doors song “The End” as its opening lyrics go “This is the end, beautiful friend…”

As Marve road starts to choke with the drum beaters, merry makers and other miscellaneous music makers, the rythmic sound of the procession will be heard at my home late in the night reminding me of the learning on this wonderful day – do not hold, do not grasp, your heart will be heavy, but your memories will be awash with the goodness and the wonderfulness of the days gone by…