BY A STAFF REPORTER
NORWALK, CA – A large number of Maharashtrians assembled at the Sanatan Dharma temple here on Sept. 6 to participate in the Ganeshotsav celebrations organized by the Maharashtra Mandal of Los Angeles(MMLA).
The day long event commenced in the morning with the Prana Pratishthana of the deity of Lord Ganesha. The morning then continued with the chanting of the Ganapathi Atharwa Sheersham. By noon the crowd had grown well past the 600 mark and the auditorium of the temple was filled to capacity. At this point an aarti was conducted with the entire congregation rising to join in the reciting of the sacred verse. Immediately afterwards the crowd formed a line to ascend the stage on which the Ganesha idol was placed to get a ‘darshan’ of the Lord, one by one. It was so long that the viewing was still in progress when most of the devotees returned after partaking in the Mahaprasad lunch which was served in the courtyard.
The afternoon session comprised the entertainment segment which included a medley by Ajit Marathe who got the program on the road. A novel game show, called Shree Tashi Sau kept the audience amused while the compatibility of three couples was tested by questions posed to them. The sporting team of Suniti and Sudhir Upasini outscored the other spirited combinations to win the trophy. Marathi devotional songs and bharata natyam dances depicting the stories that surround Lord Ganesha were performed to enthusiastic audience response.
Saneyee Purandare and her team of accompanists provided the climax for the cultural program with an exhilarating gajar with the refrain “Ganapati Bappa Morya” which was picked up and joined in by the frenzied audience members while they danced in total abandon, waving triangular saffron colored ensigns. Starting at a slow pace the singer gradually built up the momentum until it exploded at the end in a reverberating crescendo to the rhythm of the dhol, tabla and several cymbals.
The function at the temple terminated with the performance of the Uttar puja which signifies the removal of the life in the idol after which it was carried to a couple of buses which had been arranged to take the idol for Visarjan , the immersion ceremony, in the ocean at Manhattan Beach.
Over a hundred devotees accompanied the idols in the buses chanting “Ganapati Bappa Morya” throughout the ride. Following a small procession at the beach and the conduction of a final aarti, amidst much fanfare the idol was finally immersed bringing closure to the event. The eco friendly image, made by Mama Joshi as the 75- year -old idol maker is fondly referred to , was made exclusively from clay and without any plaster of Paris or toxic coloring material to comply with local environmental regulations.
Just prior to the cultural items the President of MMLA , Vaibhav Puranic, thanked sponsors for their support and volunteers for their hard work in putting the event together. He also expressed his gratitude to those who had agreed to take on the responsibility of Members of the Board of Trustees who would chart out the long term vision for the organization.
http://www.indiajournal.com/pages/event.php?id=4483
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