Like every year, my day started at 4 am, as I had to make all the puja arrangements, adorn the idol with the jewelry and cook for the lunch. For morning I made Kala watan amti, matki usal, varan bhat and chappati. For the 5 sweets which are offered to the deity, I made kheer, puran, shrikhand, aamras and Ukadiche modak. Aai made the 21 modaks this year.
The puja started at 10:30am. Sachin, his kids and some of my friends attended the puja. Chetan performed the puja. Puja was followed by Atharvashirsh, Deve, Suktas and all the Gayatri Mantras. Raj performed the aarti and the ritual ended with mantrapushpanjali.
After the lunch, it was time for the preparation of evening dinner. We had 65 + guests this year. Everything excepts the puri is made at home. For dinner we have a set menu every year. It includes
Shrikhand-Puri, Varan-Bhat, Masoor Garam Masala, Hirwa Watana Kaju Bhaji, Batata Bhaji, Boondi Raita, Pickle and Green Coconut Chuteny.
I made about 7lbs of Kesar Pista Shrikhand. Much lesser than usual quantity.
All the people arrrived on time for mothi aarti which last for about 45 minutes. This is followed by the dinner.
As always, we had great time. Its also time for meeting and catching up with the friends and relatives.
The festivities ended next evening after the Bappa's visarjan in the nearby lake
Million thanks to Bappa who helped us in his puja. Without his grace such an event couldn't have been possible. Chetan and I was worried after the recent natural calamity which struck NJ.
I will post the pictures asap
Due to work pressure and lot of traveling I could not access the blog for long. It is was nice to know about your wonderful ganapati celebration . I am very sure that more than you it must be the bappa who must be longing to come as early as possible next year to your house. We all still remember how you use to bring khelatala ganpati every year as baba and ba opposed to have real ganpati at our hourse.
ReplyDeleteWe had blast of time in pune on anant chaturdashi day and the day before. We visited all manache ganapati including dagduseth and enjoyed the visarjan precession which is just great we are planning to visit even next year.
Yes, I remember the opposition to celebrate our own festivities, In fact now the number of non-marathi people have started getting the murti's in their homes. Marathi people don't as they consider only one murti per family tradition. It depends what one wants to do, there is no rule as such.
ReplyDeleteI thinks Shweta and Guru got the first Ganesh, which we kept for 11 days and then kept back in the corner showcase, Again we used the same next year. After few years we immersed it with Hriday's Ganpati. Next year we bought bigger and kept for one year. Every year the size of the murti's increased by an inch. Slowly we started inviting people. My college freinds, work friends attened. Once we kept ganpati for 5 days. That time GB came for darshan. The last I remember was in 1990/1991. Nilesh and I booked the Madras Ganesh style from Maduskar. Chetan and his parents attended the lunch too, It was fun.