Changing Ganpati festival

Where are we heading?

          It has been more than hundred years when the public Ganpati festival was started by Lokmanya Tilak. The need of that hour was to unite the disordered India to fight against the British might. But after sixty years of independence is it really the need of this hour?

I say yes, because it is the major festival where all the religions come together to celebrate the joy. Ten full days, everywhere there’s a joyous atmosphere. Some kind of energy prevails in the air. Off-course everyone’s not happy. Most unhappy are the vehicular people. But apart from that, ten days are a mere fun. The societies where the neighbors’ don’t even talk the whole year round, in these days, harmoniously work together to organize games, programs etc. But can we call this joy if our joy is causing a nuisance to others?

Ten days of mere fun is acceptable, now coming to the last day of the Ganpati processions. This year Pune’s Ganpatiprocessions lasted for 27 hours fifteen minutes, a couple hours more than the previous year’s. The first to be immersed were the manache Ganpati. I believe these manache Ganpati and a few others have maintained the ancient age old traditional culture of the dhol tashas, graceful legims and the pathaks performing various acrobats like sword act, duppata act, dancing on the beat of the dhols. Right from the kids to the old people take part in these acts. It’s such a pleasing moment to see such acts, which makes us remember our rich heritage culture.

When the pathaks, usually in white and colorful duppata laced around the waists, move gracefully, they not only make you spell bound but even make your legs catch the taal of the dhols.

What about the DJ’s and the vulgar songs? Who gave them the permission to join the Ganpati processions? In the pre-independence period there was no question, as the loud speakers and the DJ tracks didn’t exist. But today they create havoc. The loud music crossing the sound permission norms make the normal people lose their minds. (I mention here normal people, those who support them aren’t normal). And which songs are played on the loud bassDhinka chika dhinka chika, ayaa hai raja logo re logo? (I guess most of you have started singing these songs)

Is this what we can call a Ganpati procession? Many, I believe are no atheists. Then how are we treating our God? Dancing on munni badnam or drinking till we fall either. It’s even more shameful when our young crowds reluctantly join them. Do we have a sense of being? Or are we so blind to neglect such bad thing happening in the society.

Not only the guys dance in a vulgar manner, even the girls are not far back. The way, in which they move their bodies, the onlookers might think they are amorous. They don’t feel squirmed. The orgiastic loses its sanctity when the females are in compunction.

Our so called young generation who is the future administrator is blindly supporting this act and we are dreaming of becoming a superpower. Becoming a superpower is not just by wealth, we need to respect our culture. If we are the ones who disrespect it then are the Americans going to respect it?

Is this we are heading for? Destroy our own ethics. And then cry that no one told us to. If we get going with this pace our future will surely promise to be a very harsh one. So there should be a limit if not total eradication on the vulgarness. Lastly I will say, ‘The only limits on your life are those you set yourself’.