Gearing up for Lord Ganesha's visit

Its that time of the year again, when traffic snarls in Mumbai get worse, roads rendered potholed by the rains, and narrowed by various stalls (do not call these encroachments, for they claim to be "legal occupants" of the land), bear with makeshift tents ("mandaps") and the ever-resilient Mumbaite just shrugs it off with a smile, as he navigates his bike / car / his own two feet through it all. After all - even he can't help but respond to the call of "Ganpati bappa" ... with an enthusiastic "Morya". Such is the culture of this island city, that it welcomes every visitor whether it be for a day or for a lifetime, and before you realise it, rubs off some of its religious, social fervour on you.

The Ganesh festival is one such occasion where the people irrespective of religious beliefs and social strata, come together and enjoy the many facets of this 10 day long festival.

Beginning with the open markets selling all kinds of seasonal produce and those specific items that are traditionally cooked and served during this festival, to workshops selling idols of the elephant headed Lord Ganesha and makeshift tents that seem to spring up in the midst of crowded junctions - you can't miss the signs.

Every family has their own traditions, mostly centered around food and pleasing the much awaited, revered guest - Ganesha. On his part, he graces their homes in his idol form - seated on thrones and pillows, with his little mouse for company. The sculptors imagination holds little back, having the Lord play music on a harmonium, with various other dieties for company as long as the theme is mythologically relevant, no scene or sculpture is too far-fetched.

 

Weekend in Bangalore ...

Last week I found myself making the once familiar trip to Bangalore (ooops ... now, Bengaluru). While Bangalore now boasts of a swanky new airport with state of the art facilities, the connectivity to this transportation hub is still experiencing some growing pains. Potholed roads (albeit, much better than those in Mumbai) and flyovers under construction are a common sight that create traffic snarls which welcome you to this once pristine and quiet, garden city.

Apart from work, I embarked on my culinary journey which included a visit to the world-famous MTR kitchen and gorging on various "meals", the equivalent of a "thaali" or an assortment of food that makes a complete meal at various joints. As usual, the trip was far too short and I returned with promises to myself of taking another trip to sample even more food!

 

A getaway to the Konkan coast

Lush green woods, a winding mud road that cuts through the greenery… like a brown ribbon… disappearing in parts, but continuous.
Along these paths trundles a red bus; dusty and rickety; picking up people & their luggage. This is the lifeline of the Konkan region. The railways have arrived here about two decades ago; but the remote villages are still accessible only by road.
Little surprise then, that for the natives – it is the humble red bus that they identify with. They know the times the bus will arrive – not always governed by the timetable; they know the drivers by name, often offering them a cup of tea as they drive by. The driver will often be the unofficial messenger carrying small notes and packages not for money, but knowing that the elders rely on him for their bit of news and gossip.
Is it a wonder then, that it is this bus that they eagerly await … come rain or shine?

Taking advantage of a long weekend, I headed down to the picturesque village of Dapoli near on Konkan coast. As we drove through, it was raining hard as we navigated the "ghats", but we eventually managed to reach the Konkan plains. We stayed in a sleepy little hamlet called Karde that was located by the sea shore. While the shore has been littered by humans (you see plastic and non-bio degradable waste all along the beach), the sight of the vast ocean uninterrupted and in all its glory - is a pleasing sight.

It being the rainy season, this was "off-peak" time, limiting the tourists to a few adventurous souls who were visiting to enjoy the peace and quiet away from the bustle of the city. This gave me ample opportunity to observe the locals as they went about their daily chores, and the scenic coastline. The sea has made several inlets into the bordering villages that serve as creeks, dotted with coconut trees and other shrubs characteristic to the region.

The narrow country lanes are dotted with reeds of grassy vegetation and village folk treading through the patches of green. Bent almost halfway covered with a straw tent-like cape that offered scant protection from the heavy rain, it seemed like back breaking work to me. I went up to one of the ladies and asked what they were up to. "Sowing rice" was the reply I got and the response left me humbled.It is thanks to  the hardworking farmer's toils that we enjoy the various delicacies that tingle our tastebuds and provide us with the much needed nutrients.

How many times do we give a second thought to the rice on our plates? From today, I know I will ... will you?