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I was born on Ganpati Chaturthi twenty-five years ago. So you see, I have a special connection with the dear one. I am sort of partial to Ganpati, the Lord of prosperity and good fortune. Every year I thought, I should go see the Lalbaugh Ganpati this year but I never got around to doing it. People come from far off lands to just get a glimpse of this mighty statue at Lalbaugh, waiting for hours on end. My friend told me that people who wish for a mannat stand in a seperate special queue for atleast 15 hours.
So this year when a family friend said she had special passes to see Lalbaughcha Raja, I jumped at the opportunity. The whole place to the surrounding road was under heavy supervision of military men dressed in blue, cops and traffic police trying to manage the thousands and thousands of people standing in the queues.We left at 10a.m., we stood in the VIP line for barely fifteen minutes and there we were, in front of the famous Lalbaughcha Ganpati. I had goosebumps when I finally saw the majestic statue, part of me also wanted to cry.
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| Almost there: people trying to take pictures from their mobile phones as they are pushed ahead. |
I felt dizzy when I was finally pushed out of the queue, you had to keep moving. After all the line behind me only kept increasing. As I walked out with the several others, some sobbing, some trying to get back in, some grinning broadly, I felt a little dizzy. Either it was the effect of the holy experience or the overcrowded space or both. But I have ticked yet another thing off my bucket list. Ganpati Bappa Morya!
Note: The birth of the son of Lord Shiva and Parvati is an interesting story for people who don't already know. It's something I remember from an old episode I saw on TV and the Amar Chitra Katha books I read as a child. Parvati collected the sandalwood paste she used prior to bathing on her body and breathed life into it, Ganpati, also known as Ganesha was born. She asked him to keep guard while she took her bath, so when Shiva arrived a little later, Ganpati didn't let him in. That's when Shiva unknowingly severed Ganesha's head and hence he has the head of an elephant.
http://www.lalbaugcharaja.in/
http://www.lalbaugcharaja.in/
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