‘Tujhko apna jalwa dikhana hi hoga’
While one brings the Lord home expecting a miracle, another simply brings Bappa home out of sheer gratitude. A few devotees share their stories with The Draft. Here go a few stories of the Deva and his miraculous ways
Every year, the beginning of the festive season in India is marked with Ganesh Chaturthi and the eleven auspicious days when thousands bring home their beloved Bappa for the duration of several days, worship and serve Him before immersing his idol in the sea. And, just like every year, each one of these thousands of people have a sea of stories of miracles that drove them into bringing Ganpati home.
Versions vary and while for some it’s a family tradition, others do it to ensure a personal wish gets fulfilled and then there are those who bring home Ganpati expecting a miracle or simply in hope of something better. Whatever their reasons for getting Ganpati or Bappa, as he is fondly called, home, Ganeshutsav is among the very few festivals in India when millions of people across boundaries and communities come together to indulge in the festivities while each having a personal connect with the Lord as well. Ganeshutsav may be the only festival where the social fervour and personal devotion are at par with each other.
‘The Deva looks over my family’
In a beautifully-decorated home in Bandra filled with guests and relatives invited for the pooja, State Tax Officer (GST) Smita Raje hurries around to attend to them and make them feel at home. But this warmth and hospitality is extended to not just the guests but her dear Ganpati as well. Twenty years ago when her husband started a strict, month-long shravan fast that would end with offerings to Lord Ganesha, she decided to bring Bappa home every year. “I just wanted to bring Bappa to my home and take care of Him, serve him,” she says. She feels the happiness and content in her family is only because of blessings of Lord Ganesha.
‘My mother lived only because of Bappa’
Inside the cozy, one-room home of Colaba’s Ravi Shankar Mishra, his beloved Ganpati is resting in a modest but beautifully-decorated corner temple. Wife Mithilesh Mishra welcomes everyone warmly into their blissful abode to give a darshan of Bappa. “How can we go anywhere leaving Him alone at home?” she quips when asked if she managed to visit her relatives during the festival or visit the famous Ganpati Pandals of Mumbai. “We cannot invite a guest home and then go someplace else,” adds her husband. Their four children – three daughters Radhika, Vedika, Neha and a son, Harsh – agree with their parents and make sure they stay with Bappa as much as possible for the entire eleven-day duration.
Ravi Shankar Mishra’s first memory of Ganpati festival is that of celebrating Ganeshutsav with his mother. Bringing home Ganpati every year is a part of his life for almost four decades now. In 1978, when his mother was hospitalised for a by-pass surgery, he was an infant and hardly aware of the gravity of the situation. The mother had been living in severe pain and was bedridden for a long time. One of those painful days, when his mother was lying on the hospital bed, she heard sounds of devotees singing in sync calling out to their Bappa in a procession moving past the hospital.
Overwhelmed with agony, she prayed to Lord Ganesha that she will bring him home every year if only he relieves her of the excruciating pain. She uttered these words and got up from her bed.
Ravi Shankar Mishra feels she got the strength that day only from Ganpati. He remembers as a young boy he would save money to buy Ganpati for his mother every year, costing about Rs. 6/- then. In 2011 when his mother passed away, he was heartbroken but knew that despite being of frail health she lived this long only because of his Bappa!
Wishes come true for the Deshmukh family
Life has come a full circle for Sambhajirao Deshmukh and his wife Nanda Deshmukh. Thirty-two years back when their younger son, seven-year-old Vivek Deshmukh insisted that he wants to bring his ‘own’ Ganpati home, the parents had no choice but to give in. Since then, every year they bring Bappa for five days to their home and immerse the idol on the day of Gauri Ganpati. They believe that it’s only because of the blessings of Lord Ganesha that their sons’ personal and professional lives have been what they desired. And, this transcends to other members of the family as well. Nanda Deshmukh’s niece, nine-month-pregnant Yogita Alekh says with a wide grin, “I had prayed to Him that if he fulfils my wishes for a child, I will bring him home this year.”
The most interesting part about Ganpati festival is that people across communities celebrate it with the same devotion and piety. And, each one of them have a deep-rooted connect with their caretaker Bappa, a belief that can move mountains.
‘It’s only because of Bappa that our mannat came true’
At the end of a quiet lane in SoBo, Ganesh Patel sits listlessly during the evening hours in front of his garage. His wife, Sushma Patel, an admin executive is finishing up the household chores on a lazy Sunday evening. They have just immersed their Bappa, after a day and half of bringing him home – a practice that the Patels have been religiously following since the last seven years. And, they’re missing Him already.
Ganesh, a South Indian married his North Indian wife and was living peacefully as a mechanic when life turned course for worse. The family landed in trouble owing to a property dispute over his garage. It was then that the family collectively made a mannat that they will bring Ganpati home for the next five years if their dispute gets resolved. And, even before the five year could end, they got a stay order from the court permitting Ganesh to continue using his garage.
Overwhelmed with Bappa’s blessings, they continued bringing him home and it has been seven years now. “I will keep getting Bappa home every year, till my last breath,” says Ganesh, his eyes glistening with sheer gratitude.
Support The Draft by sharing this story.
Every year, the beginning of the festive season in India is marked with Ganesh Chaturthi and the eleven auspicious days when thousands bring home their beloved Bappa for the duration of several days, worship and serve Him before immersing his idol in the sea. And, just like every year, each one of these thousands of people have a sea of stories of miracles that drove them into bringing Ganpati home.
Versions vary and while for some it’s a family tradition, others do it to ensure a personal wish gets fulfilled and then there are those who bring home Ganpati expecting a miracle or simply in hope of something better. Whatever their reasons for getting Ganpati or Bappa, as he is fondly called, home, Ganeshutsav is among the very few festivals in India when millions of people across boundaries and communities come together to indulge in the festivities while each having a personal connect with the Lord as well. Ganeshutsav may be the only festival where the social fervour and personal devotion are at par with each other.
‘The Deva looks over my family’
 |
| Smita Raje (third from left) with her family and their Ganpati |
In a beautifully-decorated home in Bandra filled with guests and relatives invited for the pooja, State Tax Officer (GST) Smita Raje hurries around to attend to them and make them feel at home. But this warmth and hospitality is extended to not just the guests but her dear Ganpati as well. Twenty years ago when her husband started a strict, month-long shravan fast that would end with offerings to Lord Ganesha, she decided to bring Bappa home every year. “I just wanted to bring Bappa to my home and take care of Him, serve him,” she says. She feels the happiness and content in her family is only because of blessings of Lord Ganesha.
‘My mother lived only because of Bappa’
 |
| Vedika, Mithilesh, Neha, Harsh and Ravi Shankar Mishra with Bappa at home |
Inside the cozy, one-room home of Colaba’s Ravi Shankar Mishra, his beloved Ganpati is resting in a modest but beautifully-decorated corner temple. Wife Mithilesh Mishra welcomes everyone warmly into their blissful abode to give a darshan of Bappa. “How can we go anywhere leaving Him alone at home?” she quips when asked if she managed to visit her relatives during the festival or visit the famous Ganpati Pandals of Mumbai. “We cannot invite a guest home and then go someplace else,” adds her husband. Their four children – three daughters Radhika, Vedika, Neha and a son, Harsh – agree with their parents and make sure they stay with Bappa as much as possible for the entire eleven-day duration.
Ravi Shankar Mishra’s first memory of Ganpati festival is that of celebrating Ganeshutsav with his mother. Bringing home Ganpati every year is a part of his life for almost four decades now. In 1978, when his mother was hospitalised for a by-pass surgery, he was an infant and hardly aware of the gravity of the situation. The mother had been living in severe pain and was bedridden for a long time. One of those painful days, when his mother was lying on the hospital bed, she heard sounds of devotees singing in sync calling out to their Bappa in a procession moving past the hospital.
Overwhelmed with agony, she prayed to Lord Ganesha that she will bring him home every year if only he relieves her of the excruciating pain. She uttered these words and got up from her bed.
Ravi Shankar Mishra feels she got the strength that day only from Ganpati. He remembers as a young boy he would save money to buy Ganpati for his mother every year, costing about Rs. 6/- then. In 2011 when his mother passed away, he was heartbroken but knew that despite being of frail health she lived this long only because of his Bappa!
Wishes come true for the Deshmukh family
 |
| From Left: Raja, Khushi (seated), Alka and Vijaya Deshmukh; Sambhajirao and Nanda Deshmukh with Yogita Alekh Inset: Vivek with wife Lilian and daughter Livi |
Life has come a full circle for Sambhajirao Deshmukh and his wife Nanda Deshmukh. Thirty-two years back when their younger son, seven-year-old Vivek Deshmukh insisted that he wants to bring his ‘own’ Ganpati home, the parents had no choice but to give in. Since then, every year they bring Bappa for five days to their home and immerse the idol on the day of Gauri Ganpati. They believe that it’s only because of the blessings of Lord Ganesha that their sons’ personal and professional lives have been what they desired. And, this transcends to other members of the family as well. Nanda Deshmukh’s niece, nine-month-pregnant Yogita Alekh says with a wide grin, “I had prayed to Him that if he fulfils my wishes for a child, I will bring him home this year.”
The most interesting part about Ganpati festival is that people across communities celebrate it with the same devotion and piety. And, each one of them have a deep-rooted connect with their caretaker Bappa, a belief that can move mountains.
‘It’s only because of Bappa that our mannat came true’
Ganesh, a South Indian married his North Indian wife and was living peacefully as a mechanic when life turned course for worse. The family landed in trouble owing to a property dispute over his garage. It was then that the family collectively made a mannat that they will bring Ganpati home for the next five years if their dispute gets resolved. And, even before the five year could end, they got a stay order from the court permitting Ganesh to continue using his garage.
Overwhelmed with Bappa’s blessings, they continued bringing him home and it has been seven years now. “I will keep getting Bappa home every year, till my last breath,” says Ganesh, his eyes glistening with sheer gratitude.
Support The Draft by sharing this story.
