All of this worship and celebration by having the Lord between us is surreal experience. It’s very close and personal. But this festival is also celebrated on a social level. Revered social leader Lokmanya Tilak made it a social celebration during the freedom struggle to bring together people from all stages and strata of life. He united them by having them celebrate this festival as a collective force against the oppressors. It was continued after independence with an ever increasing fervour. Yes, those celebrations have now become commercial in a huge way. But one look at Lord Ganesh, be it anywhere in a pandal or at any home we forget everything else. We go deeper into the reverence for Lord Ganesh and let our joyous fervour celebrate his stay with us making it memorable each and every year.
This is why we wait every year for our lord Ganesh to arrive at our homes or in pandals. It is a pure joy celebration that crosses all barriers and cuts through all segments of society. So, many people from other community and religions join this celebration, thus, signifying the unity of our people. Thus, goes the Ganesh festival celebrations. Happy Ganesh Festival to all.
By Manish Sharma
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)