By Madison Butkus
Hometown Weekly Reporter
The Estates at Walpole (EAW) community came together to celebrate Ganesha Chaturthi, a Hindu festival honoring Lord Ganesha, who is depicted with the head of an elephant and symbolizes intellect and auspiciousness. Each night, the community gathered for prayer, dance, storytelling, and even a parade. Among the celebrants was EAW resident Ravi Bhagavatula, who joined his neighbors in marking the joyous occasion.
When talking with Bhagavatula about this incredible weekend long event, he described the rich history behind this celebration. “Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated each year,” Bhagavatula explained, “to commemorate the birth and the coronation of Ganesha as the commander of his father’s (Shiva) army. The festival is celebrated across the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, and among the Hindu diaspora around the world. While the observance of the festival dates back over 1000 years, it was popularized by the freedom fighters of India to defy the ban on gatherings by the British overlords. This expression of freedom popularized the festival celebrations in a community setting, and over the years it has spread across to Hindu communities around the world.”
He additionally mentioned how the 1.2 billion Hindus of the world pray to Lord Ganesha to enhance essential qualities for success before the start of any significant endeavor. These could include the birth of a child, formal education, weddings, or even just at the start of the day.
Each night of the EAW Ganesha Chaturthi event involved different celebrations. Night one included praying to the beautifully decorated clay Ganesha idol on a pedestal while the priest recited Vedic hymns. After the prayer, kids of all ages, who were dressed in an array of different colors, performed traditional dances and enthusiastic story-telling. “Each performance,” Bhagavatula detailed, “carried the message of the importance of spirituality, equality, inclusiveness, and righteousness. Kids also participated in a Rangoli competition, in which colorful designs and patterns are made free-hand on the sidewalk with chalk and powder colors.
\Families brought homemade traditional dishes each day to offer to the deity. After the offering, the dishes were served during the festive dinner.”
On Sunday, the third day of this celebration, EAW community members had set up a parade in which the idol of Ganesha was carried around the neighborhood. Attendees of all ages danced in front of the float while listening to music and to the beat of drums and clapping. The parade concluded with an immersion and dissolution of the idol of Ganesha into a water bath. This signified that God and nature are truly one.
In terms of this celebration as a whole, Bhagavatula mentioned, “The Organizing Committee members would like to thank the Walpole Town authorities and the Walpole Police Department for extending their support and assistance throughout the celebration. Overall, the event was a success and indicative of the optimism toward educating the younger generation about the diverse and vibrant parts of our community, our duty and respect for the society we live in.”
