Celebrating Ganesha Chaturthi the Special Way

Mr Jules and I were extremely honoured to be invited to a private family celebration of Ganesha Chaturthi (the birthday of Ganesha).  We took part in the festivities yesterday - consisting of an Aarti and a Prasad lunch - together with all 60 members of the Pandit family. 

Although the Pandit family has been celebrating Ganesha Chaturthi for close on 100 years, their family idol is rotated between the descendants of the five Pandit brothers every year - each branch of the family taking responsibility for celebrating the festival and therefore keeping the family connected.   

The Aarti really was a marvellous experience and a sight to behold - and the lunch that followed was simple but delicious.  I would like to extend thanks again to Shwetambari, Priyanka and their wonderful family for making us feel so welcome and so included. Thank you also for explaining the whole process to us in detail and for letting me write about it afterwards!  

As with any spiritual celebration in India, there is a format to be followed - with religious iconography, colours, lights, candles and singing. Amazing!  By the time this piece has been written, the Pandit Ganesha idol will also have been immersed in a lake at Aarey Colony.  I am sorry we will have missed that spectacle!

The story is better told in pictures:

Here (and below) is the sacred Ganesha installation at the Pandit household -
adorned with flowers and blades of grass etc

This is a representation of Parvati - the mother of Ganesha.  Lord Shiva (the father of Ganesha) - is represented here by a coconut in front of Parvati.

Powders for anointing the tikka (dots on the forehead)

Waiting to begin...mobile phones are always useful in these situations

Mr Pandit and the men folk (he was wondering whether he was going to end up on my blog
...well here you are Mr Pandit!)

Beautiful Pandit sisters!

This is the Modak - made by mum Mrs Pandit and central to the Aarti.  The Modak are sweet steamed dumplings made with coconut and jaggery and other ingredients and offered to Ganesha during the 'Shhodashopachara' ritual . Modak is believed to be Ganesha's favourite food (funny how he had a sweet tooth!)

Shweta holds the actual Prasad offering on a banana leaf (including one of the Modaks). Prasad literally translates as 'gracious gift'.

The girls show me their Mehendi - Priyanka has managed to draw Ganesha on to her own palm! (Far right).

The little percussion instruments that are used to assist chanting during the Aarti.

For those who have not memorised the devotional songs - hymn books can be used 

Amazing and mesmerising scene as all 60 Pandit family members crowd in front of the idol and chant Vedic hymns during the Aarti ceremony.

Mr Pandit presides over the Aarti - wearing a traditional Dhoti and Uttariyam (shawl)

The chanting of mantras is accompanied by swirling of fire in front of the statue. The Aarti plate must have on it a lamp containing the burning ghee or oil. The waving of the lighted wicks before Ganesha is done in the spirit of humility and gratitude - wherein the participants become immersed in the god's divine form.

The chanting of mantras invokes the presence of Ganesha using the statue as a body for channeling his energy (this ritual is called the Pranapratishhtha).  The room at this point becomes quite hot and intense with incense and soot from the candle flames.  Very atmospheric!

The ghee is being topped up.

Towards the end of the ceremony, the Aarti plate is passed around and those present cup their down-turned hands over the flame and then raise their palms to their forehead - the purifactory blessing passed from Ganesha's image to the flame - has now been passed to the devotee. 

After the chanting part, family members make offerings to Ganesha.

Afterwards we share in a Prasad lunch provided by the Pandits (nearly forgot to take a photo before gobbling it up!) - consisting of a farsan, dal spooned on to steamed rice, pulao, puris, sol kadi, pickles, mutter aloo (pea & potato curry) and cauliflower (ghobi) curry. No onions, garlic or ginger is used in the preparation of the Prasad lunch. Finally, one of the delicious steamed modaks which has now been blessed by Ganesha.

Family members in their beautiful, bright saris, get stuck into the Prasad lunch.

Stunning pink sari and blingy matching bracelets.

The Legend of Ganesha (according to Wikipedia)

Traditional Ganesha Hindu stories tell that Lord Ganesha was created by goddess Parvati consort of Lord Shiva. Parvati created Ganesha out of sandalwood paste that she used for her bath and breathed life into the figure. She then set him to stand guard at her door while she bathed. Lord Shiva, who had gone out, returned and as Ganesha didn't know him , didn't allow him to enter. Lord Shiva became enraged by this and asked his follower Ganas to teach the child some manners. Ganesha who was very powerful, being born of Parvati, the embodiment of Shakti. He defeated Shiva's followers and declared that nobody was allowed to enter while his mother was bathing. The sage of heavens, Narada along with the Saptarishis sensed the growing turmoil and went to appease the boy with no results. Angered, the king of Gods, Indra attacked the boy with his entire heavenly army but even they didn't stand a chance. By then, this issue had become a matter of pride for Parvati and Shiva. Angry Shiva severed the head of the child. Parvati seeing this became enraged. Seeing Parvati in anger Shiva promised that her son will be alive again. The devas searched for the head of dead person facing North. But they found only the head of a dead elephant. They brought the head of the elephant and Shiva fixed it on the child's body and brought him back to life. Lord Shiva also declared that from this day the boy would be called Ganesha (Gana Isha : Lord of Ganas).

Mr Jules's Almond Pesto

I luuuurve pesto.  I especially like it tossed into some warm tagliatelle with crispy bacon and sautéed mushrooms.  But even so, I am a bit of a pleb when it comes to making it - usually going for the bottled Sacla option (pretty good stuff). 'Pasta Pesto' - despite its Italian origins is probably a staple of many a Brit diet - and I am sure there are others out there who crave it like I do from time to time!  

Mr Jules's Almond pesto tossed into tagliatelle with bacon and mushrooms.

The bad news is that a jar of Sacla pesto in India costs a minimum 425 Rs - or £4.50/$7 a throw.  Why spend that much when you can make a good alternative yourself? (Or in my case, get Mr Jules to make it...he trained as a chemist, so he's very good at these things you know). 

You can't buy pine nuts here (at least I don't think so and even if you could they would cost a fortune). So Mr Jules substitutes in almonds.  The result is great and you can't really tell the difference.  

Great for a Monday night supper...super easy!

Here is the recipe:

Mr Jules's Almond Pesto

Makes enough for 4 servings.

50g blanched almonds (we buy them whole, soak them in boiling water for a bit and then peel them)

Two to three handfuls of basil leaves (available on Pali Market etc) - no stalks

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 cloves of garlic

Lemon juice (to taste)

Good handful of grated Parmesan cheese.

1. Grind the almonds in a mixer grinder/blender (or in our case, a mini-chopper).
2. Add the basil and chopped garlic and once it's all blended, add the olive oil to get a thick paste. 
3. Add the grated parmesan and continue to blend and add the lemon juice - about half of one of the Indian limu or a quarter of a sicilian lemon (you can add more to taste). 
4. Add more oil until you get a loose paste. 
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Toss into a cooked pasta of your choice

Note: when you drain the pasta make sure to keep some of the pasta water. When you mix the pesto with the pasta, add some of this water to loosen it further - so that it mixes with the pasta and covers it evenly. We usually toss the pesto into spaghetti, tagliatelle or farfalle (but you can use any pasta shape you like) and add crispy bacon and sautéed mushrooms.  Bellissimo!

If in India - start of with whole almonds which you should soak in boiling water before peeling off the skins.

Our mini chopper - the star of most of my recipes!

The almond/basil paste - needs loosening up with a bit more olive oil...

Better....

Same ingredients - but this time with farfalle.  You can also try pesto and al-dente green beans - more healthy!

Shower Bath, Shower Bath!

This is what our driver cries, every time we pass by a roadside waterfall - because inevitably there will be fully or semi-clothed Indians sitting under it, relishing the clean cold stream of water crashing on to their heads.

Near Matheran - A boy sits under a waterfall as his relatives excitedly take his photo

We don't obviously pass by roadside waterfalls on an average day in Mumbai - but we have seen them when driving through the Western Ghats - either to Matheran, on our recent drive down to Goa (crazy) or near to Karnala Bird Sanctuary.  I have also seen torrents of water coming down from the mountains in Ernakulum National Park in Kerala - where we saw more fully clothed groups of Indians enjoying these 'Shower Baths' (Funnily enough, our driver there also cried 'Shower Bath!' as we drove by).

A nice family day out? (in the UK the equivalent would be having a picnic out of a Tupperware
container by the side of the motorway)

Of course, we find it hilarious and I always wind down the window to take a photo.  But it does leave me wondering - how on earth do they get dry afterwards and do they catch flu? Do they bring a towel and a spare set of clothes in the knowledge that they will be doing this? These waterfalls tend to be at their best at the height of the monsoon season, when there isn't exactly enough sun to dry out naturally!

I have also seen local Indians on Juhu and Goan beaches taking to the sea fully clothed.  It is still not 'normal' in Indian society to reveal too much flesh in public - and your average working class mother is certainly not going to carry around a bikini and towel around with her, in the hope of a dip in the sea. Those kind of leisurely pastimes are out of the reach of most people in India.  And although most middle classes will now have a shower at home - having a bathtub certainly is not the norm.  It it therefore not at all surprising that when people come across cool, refreshing downpours of water in a clean and green environment, they're going to make the most of it, even if they are fully clothed!

One of my favourite photos - a group of fully saree'd older women looking out to sea on Juhu beach

Mostly clothed - on Majorda Beach two weeks ago (Goa)

Perhaps bathing in the sea or under a waterfall has religious connotations - as they do in Varanasi or at the Kumbh Mela where millions of people come to immerse themselves in the holy Ganges.  Ironically, considering that it is one of the most polluted rivers in the world - it is deemed pure and purifying to bathe in the Ganges with the hope that a lifetime of sins will be washed away.

The incredible scene in Varanasi last year - people bathing in the Ganges at dawn

From the photos below, it looks like it is more to do with having fun...and why not?

Groups of men 'having a laff'.  No doubt their wives had to nurse them through their man-flu after this!

Swimming in the Ganges (a health hazard but cleansing no?)

These boys at least seem to be wearing swimming trunks - Goa

Indian pigeons are at it too!

This beautiful waterfall even has its own steps going up! Note the girl in the red salwar kameez who is absolutely soaked to the skin!
On the Western Ghats half way between Mumbai and Goa. 

I love the childish joy on people's faces as they play in the sea.

Even the buffalo are not immune....