Author Archives: memoriesandsuch

In My Hands Today…

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Two Under the Indian Sun – Jon Godden and Rumer Godden

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In November 1914 two small sisters, Jon and Rumer Godden, returned to India. They had spent a year in London being “brought up” by austere aunts, but now the zeppelins were expected, and so they were summoned back to their home in East Bengal. Jon was only seven and a half and Rumer six.

“Two Under the Indian Sun“, a unique collaboration, is a remembrance of the five years that followed, in the village of Narayangunj–where their father worked as a steamship agent–on a bustling river that feeds the great Brahmaputra. It is an evocation of a few years that will always be timeless for these two, and it is as true an account as memory can accomplish. India, for them, was sun-baked dust between their toes, colored robes in the market place, the chanting of coolies, the deep hoot of steamers on the river, and the smells of thorn trees, mustard, and coconut oil: smells redolent of the sun.

India was also people, people of every kind, each different from the other and bringing a trail of other differences, of place, custom, religion, even of skin. It was not an ordinary life for young girls, and later they agreed that it might have been better had they been raised in the simplicity of their Quaker forbears. “Better,” Jon was to say, “but not nearly as interesting.”

Above all, those five years were “a time when everything was clear: each thing was itself: joy was joy, hope was hope, fear and sorrow were fear and sorrow.” Jon and Rumer have written of that time with a single voice, perhaps because during those years the two sisters grew so close that “between them was a passing of thought, of feeling, of knowing without any need for words.”

Travel Bucket List – India: Karnataka Part 5

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As I mentioned in the previous part, today we are going to explore the highs and lows of Karnataka. This means we will see some of the hill stations and beaches in the state. Let’s go…

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Coorg
Officially known as Kodagu, Coorg is well known for its breathtakingly exotic scenery and lush greenery. Forest covered hills, spice and coffee plantations add to the landscape. Called India’s Scotland by the British when they reached this place in the 19th century, Coorg is surrounded by the Western Ghats which are covered by mists of clouds and extremely good weather. Before 1956, it was an administratively separate Coorg State, at which point it was merged into an enlarged Mysore State.

The Kodavas were the earliest inhabitants and agriculturists in Kodagu, having lived there for centuries. Being a warrior community, they carried arms during times of war and had their own chieftains. The Haleri dynasty, an offshoot of the Keladi Nayakas, ruled Kodagu between 1600 and 1834. Later the British ruled Kodagu from 1834, after the Coorg War, where they annexed Kodagu, after deposing Chikka Virarajendra of the Kodagu kingdom, as Coorg until India’s independence in 1947.

Madikeri is the region’s centre point with all transportation for getting around starting from here. Make sure you cover beautiful towns like Virajpet, Kushalnagar, Gonikoppal, Pollibetta, and Somwarpet to get the best experience in this region. Don’t miss the Raja’s Seat – a small garden adorned with the flowers to get the best views of the majestic hills of the Western Ghats. Another excellent viewpoint is the Mandalpatti which offers breathtaking views. Other places not to be missed here include Abbey Falls, where water cascades down from a height of 70 feet and the rugged terrain of the boulders of the waterfall is juxtaposed by the neighbouring coffee and spice plantations. Talakaveri which is the origin of the Cauvery river from the Brahmagiri Hills is very sacred and attracts many tourists and devotees. The Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary is also a must visit as is the Namdroling Monastery or the Golden Temple, which is situated just 6 Kms from the town of Kushalnagar and 35 Kms from the Madikeri and belongs to the Sangha community. The temple is termed “golden” because of the golden work done on every painting and is a typical Tibetan monastery. The Nagarhole National Park and of course the highest peak in Coorg, Tadiandamol Peak at an elevation of 1748m is not to be missed. The biggest lake in Coorg, one that has spiritual as well as historical significance is the Honnamana Kere Lake which is named after Goddess Honnamana and the temple is adjacent to the lake. Located in the centre of the Madikeri town, the majestic The Madikeri Fort is a popular attraction and offers tourists with insights on the history of Coorg and all that the town witnessed. The elevated structures of the fort also provide panoramic views of the town, which is undoubtedly breathtaking and beautiful.

If there is one thing that defines Coorg the best, then it has to be the infinite regal fields of coffee plantations. Coorg is one of the highest producers of coffee in India. You must visit the Tata plantation trails of coffee in Coorg and enjoy the freshly brewed coffee made from the fresh cocoa beans. To gain the best experience you can also choose to stay at one of the resorts located right in the centre of coffee fields. The coffee grown in Coorg is apparently the best mild coffee in the world, as it is grown in the shade. Coorg is popular for the plantation of ‘Arabica’, which requires an altitude of 3,300 feet to 4,900 feet above the sea level, and ‘Robusta’ requiring an altitude of 1,600 feet to around 3,300 feet above the sea level.

The best time to visit Coorg is from the months of September to June as the weather is pleasant with no rain and it is not too hot either. However, if you want to go trekking, October to March is the best time to visit Coorg as this is the perfect weather if you wish to spend more time outdoors. During the monsoon months of late July and August, it is best to avoid visiting due to heavy rainfall and landslides.

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Chikmagalur
Popularly known as the ‘Coffee Land of India’, Chikmagalur is situated in the foothills of the Mullayangiri Range and is one of the most beautiful hill stations in Karnataka. There is a perpetual fragrance of coffee lingering in the air in this town because of the many coffee plantations that dot the hills as Chikmagalur was the first town to be planted with the coffee beans in India during the British rule. Famous for its tall mountains, lush green forests and tranquil environment, Chikmagalur is a popular tourist destination and a quick weekend retreat.

Chikmagalur takes its name from the Kannada Chikkamagaḷauru that translates to “younger daughter’s town”. It is said to have been given as a dowry to the youngest daughter of Rukmangada, the legendary chief of Sakharayapattana.

Being the largest producer of coffee in the country, Chikmagalur is mainly all about its coffee. So if you’re a coffee enthusiast as well as a nature lover, taking a walk through one, or many the numerous coffee plantations in the city is a must-do activity. Many of these coffee estates not only allow visitors to take guided tours through the plantations, but they also provide home-stays right within the estates, so you can literally wake up to and end your day with the smell of coffee in the air.

Chikmagalur is a very popular trekking spot and boasts of many incredible trekking trails, such as the Mullayangiri trek, the Kemmanagundi trek, and the Baba Budangiri trek. Mullayangiri is the highest peak in all of Karnataka and is the best place to get a perfect view of the sun rising from behind the mountains.

Chikmagalur is also famous for its lakes, and Ayyanakere Lake and Hirekolale Lake are two of the most popular lakes that tourists flock to. A visit to the Kalhatti falls, which are located a few kilometres away from the main town of Chikmagalur, is a must-see addition to your trip checklist, as this waterfall finds a place in many mythological legends, and the water flowing here is said to have healing powers. The waterfall has the Veerbhadra Temple located right next to it, and apart from the religious significance, this place offers a great view of the valley and its surrounding hills.

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Sakleshpur
Sakleshpur is a popular yet offbeat hill station flanked by the Western Ghats. There is something for everyone here, from the dense rainforest, hiking trails, historical temples and an old fort, mountain peaks and waterfalls. Whether its the significant agricultural products or the discovery of a jyotirlinga by the Hoysalas, the quaint town of Sakleshpur earned its name rightly as it is no less verdant than Ooty. It is also sometimes called the poor man’s Ooty! The story behind the name of this hill station is very intriguing. Between the 10th and the 14th century, this region was ruled by the Hoysalas. During their reign a broken Shivalingam was found and it was named Sakleshwara. After this incident the neighboring villages started calling this place Sakleshpur and the name stuck.

For history buffs and architecture enthusiasts, Sakleshpur has the celebrated Manjarabad Fort which tells the tale of Tipu Sultan and the Bettada Bhairaveshwara Prasanna Temple along with Pandavar Gudda which has the significance of the Pandavas staying here during exile. The mountains also provide an excellent opportunity for moderately easy treks that take a few hours to reach the summits like the Agni Gudda, Jenukal Gudda, Ombattu Gudda and Pandavar Gudda.

Boasting of rich biodiversity, Sakleshpur is home to many plants and animals including some of the endemic and endangered species. This place is one of the 18 most diverse spots in the world when it comes to flora and fauna. Elephants, deers, king cobras, tigers, Kadave are some of the animals that can be stopped easily. The reddish-orange pagoda flower which is locally called Ratha Pushpa is a beautiful flower that can be seen hanging from the trees in bunches.

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Kudremukh
Popular and named after a mountainside that resembles a horse’s face, Kudremukh is famous for its biodiversity and scenic beauty. A popular hill-station, Kudremukh is actually a hill range and the name comes from its highest peak which rises to a heightof 1,894 meters and is the second highest peakin Karnataka in the Chikmagalur district and a paradise for trekkers and naturists alike, with its mountainous paths and floral and faunal diversity. With its rolling meadows, grasslands and dense forests, this place is a biodiversity hotspot. Kudremukh is an enchanting place to visit, still retaining much of its natural beauty despite persistent threats from various sources to its ecology. Varaha Parvatha, another mountain range nearby at a height of 1458m above sea level is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Primarily developed as an important iron-ore mining town, conservationists successfully campaigned against the adverse mining effects on the environment.

Located amidst mountains, Kudremukh National Park is popular for its scenic beauty. Designated the status of a national park in the year 1987, the 600-kilometre square area is one of the most well preserved national parks in the state. Jewelled with natural beauty, high rising peaks studded with a plethora of flora and fauna as well as picturesque trekking routes overseeing verdant grasslands, there is much to experience here. The wildlife protected area is the second-largest belonging to a tropical wet evergreen forest in the zone of the Western Ghats. The National Park is open from 10 am to 5 pm and trekking hours are between 6 am to 5 pm. Indians pay INR 200 to enter while foreigners pay INR 1000.

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Kemmanagundi
A hill-station of widespread views and scents of beautiful gardens, Kemmanagundi or KR hills, is home the tallest peak of Karnataka, Mullayanagiri. These hills offer a perfect summer retreat for nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts. The area also has trekking, nature walks and picnics. The Royal Horticulture Society of Karnataka is located here and has some of the most beautiful gardens. The Rock garden, Z point, Hebbe falls, Kalahasti falls, Bababudan hill town and the Shiva temple are a few must-see attraction here.

Kemmanagudi means red soil for which the region is popularly known for. It was a summer retreat of the Mysore King Krishnaraj Wodeyar IV who donated his resort to the government of Karnataka after being awestruck and mesmerised by the beauty of the surroundings. This place has a lot to offer right from the beautiful waterfalls to nature treks. The weather is lovely throughout the year, and you can visit it all year round.

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Kotagiri
Snuggled in the Nilgiris, Kotagiri is a gorgeous hill station and one of the oldest hill stations in the Nilgiris, resting at an altitude of 5882 feet. Once serving as a site for coffee plantation, today the town is a tea plantation covering 30,000 acres. Steeped in vast expanses of greenery and rolling hills, Kotagiri offers plenty of trekking and hiking opportunities for adventure lovers.

Home to the famed Kota tribe, Kotagiri is commonly known as the ‘mountains of the Kotas’. It is packed with European style houses and has a history dating back to the British rule in India. The 8 kilometres long trek to the Catherine Falls is one of the many highlights of this hill station. With a jagged terrain backed by a peaceful setting, this region is also ideal for rock climbing. Kotagiri is wild and pristine and there is no better way to experience the destination without staying in a homestay.

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Masinagudi
A quaint hill station near Mysuru known for its wildlife, Masinagudi is a haven for animal and bird lovers and is considered a perfect jungle getaway. It is located at just a 1-hour drive from Ooty and is filled with breathtaking views and sceneries. The Mudumalai National Park is the highlight here and is popular amongst visitors. Apart from Mudumalai, the Bandipur Tiger Reserve is also a popular hotspot here. One can engage in wildlife spotting, fishing, go on many exciting safaris by hiring private jeeps, sit by the stunning Moyar River or even go boating there, the possibilities here are endless. Don’t forget to visit the Theppakadu Elephant Camp for an unforgettable experience amongst elephants as you go right into their abodes.

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Devarayanadurga
Devarayanadurga or DD Hills which translates to “the fort of God” is a tranquil hill station located near Tumkur and fairly close to Bengaluru that it is a perfect weekend getaway for locals from the capital. Situated at an elevation of 4000 ft, Devarayanadurga is perfect to live among the lush green trees and explore the hilly terrain. This place is replete with not only picturesque beauty but also has a rich historical, cultural and religious significance. There are a number of beautifully crafted temples which will provide you with inner peace and leave you awestruck.

From the hills, let’s now move down to the coast and explore some interesting beaches and coastal towns in the state.

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Karwar
A port city with scenic beaches surrounded by casuarinas trees along the Arabian sea coastline, Karwar is also called The Queen of Konkan Coast. It is both a natural harbour as well as a town with a history that goes back to the 15th century. A multicultural destination with Konkani, Kannada and Marathi speaking communities, Karwar is also famous for the historic monuments and is a photographer’s paradise owing to the brilliant architecture of monuments and scenic landscapes that are in this region. With Snorkelling, scuba diving and surfing, Karwar is an ideal place for adventure tourists as well.

Karwar is located on the banks of the river Kali and has an intense history in regards to the various kings and their rules and hence the diverse culture, though it is mainly dominated by that of south India. The name ‘Karwar’ has been acquired from a neighbouring village named ‘Kadwad’. Karwar is known for its natural biodiversity which is again owing to its unique location. Don’t miss the mighty Sivaganga Falls and the Warship Museum. Take a beautiful moonlight stroll at the Ravindranath Tagore Beach. You can also take a ferry to the Devbagh Beach which is situated about three kilometers in the Arabian Sea as well as the Sadashivgad Hill Fort and the Durga Temple, situated on an almost two hundred feet high hillock and the Kali Bridge. Make time to take in the sunset at Oyster Rock for which you need to take a ferry.

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Devbagh
Pristine blue water, a picture perfect backdrop of beautiful mountains and lush green belt of casuarinas trees blend together perfectly to give you Devbagh. It is an amazing exotic island lying along the coastline of Arabian sea about 2 kms from the southern part of Goa and a ferry ride from Karwar. With splendid weather throughout the year, the beach town is famous for the fresh seafood, water sports and sunsets. The town of Devbagh is also known for the rich cultural heritage. Beautiful places like Sada Shivgad fort, depict the history of the rulers and the intricacies of architecture prevalent during the gone eras. Elegant and exquisite temple complex like the Shajjeswar temple and Narasimha Temple stand tall to gracefully depict the stories, of a bygone era.

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Kumta
The beautiful town of Kumta offers tantalizing beaches with black rocks, old temples and sprawling greenery. With amazing weather throughout the year, the town is adorned with beaches like Baada beach, Kumta beach, Om beach, Kudle beach and Dhareshwar Beach as well as ancient temples like the Mahabaleshwar temple and Shree Mahaganpati temple. The Yana caves are a popular attraction too. Rock climbing and other adventure activities like trekking there is another favourite for visitors to the town.

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Netrani Island, Murudeshwar
Also known as the ‘Pigeon Island’or Netragudo, Netrani Island is located 10 nautical miles off the coast of Murudeshwar which takes about 90 minutes by ferry. When viewed from above, the island looks to be heart-shaped and is counted as one of the best sites for scuba diving. Known for its overwhelming experience of underwater world, visitors will get a chance to come face to face with diverse variety of fish life common to Arabian Sea as well as other varieties such as Napolean Wrasse, Cobia, Stonefish, Black Tip Sharks, Great Barracuda, Turtles and Stingrays etc. With a soothing effect over your nerves, this place under water is perfect for diving suitable for certified divers of all experience levels. The best time to visit Netrani Island is during the months of December and January.

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Maravanthe
A beautiful beach town with white sand spread miles and miles along the coast, Maravanthe is a getaway which can be best described as nature’s basket full of mesmerizing picturesque views. The sunset here tints everything shades of sepia just like out of a painter’s canvas. Studded with several places of the excursion, the town is adorned with a stark backdrop of Kodachadri Hills, while the Arabian Sea bounds it from one side and Sauparnika River on the other side. With pleasant weather especially during winters, you can visit the beach here, go snorkelling or scuba diving or even go on a trek at Kodachadri Hills! It is also a nature’s paradise with temples, beaches and beautiful landscapes. Don’t forget to take blessings at the Anegudde Vinayaka Temple and then unwind at Maravanthe Beach and Kodi Beach. View the spellbinding sunset from Ottinere before you go backto your hectic lifestyle.

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St. Mary’s Island, Udipi
The land where Vasco De Gama set his first foot in India, the land whose geological importance is immense and whose beauty is spectacular, St. Mary’s Island is a quaint island just off the coast of Udupi. The island is full of white sand beaches, rock monoliths and great wildlife and is located just 4 miles off the coast of Udipi in the Arabian Sea. St. Mary’s Island is a group of four individual islands namely Coconut Island, North Island, South Island and Daryabahadurgarh Island and is a geological treasure hosting some of the most beautiful beaches in the country. Daryabahadurgarh Fort, Vadabhandeshwara Temple and Malpe Beach are major tourist attractions in and around the area.
One can find a shoreline made up full of crystalline rocks which were created at the time Madagascar Island got separated from India. Make sure you are there when the sun sets as you stand on the crystalline rocks.

Make sure you carry lots of sunscreen, hats and drinking water as there are no provisions for such amenities on the island. Wear shoes you are comfortable getting rid of as the only way to the island is through the ferry and the approach towards the last few yards may involve wading. Carry food and drinks with you as there are no shops in the island with the exception of a lone shack selling water, juice and some snacks, which may be more expensive than on the mainland.

The best time to visit St. Mary’s Island is from October to January. The 30-minute ferry to St. Mary’s Island runs from Malpe in Udipi from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm and is closed during the monsoon months of June to September. The entry fee to the island is INR 250 and you will need to pay INR 200 for a camera while a ferry ticket will set you back between INR 250-300.

Next part is all about spirituality and the little temple towns in the state.

2020 Week 34 Update

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It’s the end of another week and this time of the year I miss Mumbai a lot. The Ganesh festival is currently ongoing and though it will be a very muted affair in my hometown this time, usually it is huge and celebrated with lots of pomp and pageantry. I was actually telling my helper R that it’s been 20 years now that I have been part of the celebrations and wanted to go perhaps this year since BB & GG are more or less independent now, but this didn’t happen this year, so hopefully I can make this happen in the near future.

Also, since my parents are getting old and are finding it increasingly hard to manage living alone, they are now seriously contemplating moving to a home for the eldery. This place is in the south and my mum’s sister has also recently moved there. She has another cousin who also has a place there and may shift there sooner or later. This means that once they move, I won’t be able to travel to Mumbai again since my main reason to go to India is to visit my parents. Anyway, there’s time for all this to happen, it will not happen instantaneously, so I am going to take it as it happens.

Anyway, things are slowly opening up more in Singapore with the government relaxing more rules and allowing passengers from certain countries to enter the country without having to undergo the mandatory fourteen day quarantine period. I am a bit hopeful that things will get better, but we have to continue to maintain our vigil to make sure that things don’t go down south again.

The children have started their exams and last week BB had an exam which started at 6:30 pm. He was only home around 9:30 after the exam ended around 8:30 pm! That day I realised that probably he is getting more and more independent and I have also loosened the strings to a very large extent. But as a parent, it is hard, something that I am trying to do.

This was our week’s update. Stay safe people and remember to mask up when you you are out of your safe space, which for most of us are our homes!

In My Hands Today…

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Bone Harvest – Mary Logue

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Then the quiet was broken. The baby reached up a hand and jerked at the tablecloth. A spoon hit her on the head, and she started to cry. Bertha Schuler stuck her head out the door and called that dinner was ready. The clock in the hallway struck the half hour. And the first shot was fired.

The unsolved murders at a remote Wisconsin farmhouse half a century ago have receded into time. But one deranged man will do anything to make sure that all of Pepin County remembers that bloody day.

The world was out of balance. It had been so for nearly fifty years. Only he could see it. Only he could change it.

When a quantity of dangerous pesticides is stolen from the local co-op, Deputy Sheriff Claire Watkins is called in to investigate. The thief has left one bizarre clue: the finger bone of a child long dead.

The pesticides soon reappear with devastating effect–in flowerbeds, in animal feed, and in a fatal concoction at a Fourth of July picnic. Each time, a tiny human bone is left at the scene. With the help of Harold Peabody, the quirky, aging editor of the Durand Daily, Claire unravels the secrets of the past, leading her to a pair of young lovers, a man enraged over his mother’s death, an obsessive recluse, and the deputy who first discovered the corpses of the Schuler family Claire desperately races against time to find the madman before he uses the lethal pesticide again. But he won’t be stopped. Not until he gets what he wants.

Festivals of India: Ganesh Chaturti

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My favourite festival and one that I look forward to all year, especially when I was still living in India, Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates the birth of the elephant God, Lord Ganesh. This festival is made extra special because Lord Ganesh is my ishtadev and I was born during the eleven days this festival is celebrated in Mumbai and so my star birthday is always during this festival. As per Hindu religious books, the Lord Ganesha was born on Shukla Chaturthi during Bhadrapada lunar month which comes sometime in the months of August and September according to the Gregorian calendar.

Since Lord Ganesh is the destroyer of obstacles and the one who has to be worshipped first before any other worship, he is very important in the Hindu Pantheon and from where I come from, the favorite God. If there was a state Lord, I am sure Lord Ganesh will be that for Maharashtra!

Traditionally the festival used to be celebrated at home by installing small clay idols of Lord Ganesh, but during India’s independence struggle, in 1893 after the installation of the first sarvajanik or public Ganesh idol in Pune by Bhausaheb Laxman Javale or Bhau Rangari, Lokmanya Tilak, a legendary freedom fighter praised the celebrations of the public festivities in his newspaper, Kesari, and dedicated his efforts to launch the annual domestic festival into a large, well-organised public event. Tilak recognised Lord Ganesh’s appeal as “the god for everybody”, and chose this particular God as the one that bridged “the gap between Brahmins and non-Brahmins”, thereby building a grassroots unity across them to oppose British colonial rule.

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It is also said that in 1870, the British colonial rulers, out of fear of seditious assemblies, had passed a series of ordinances that banned public assembly for social and political purposes of more than 20 people in British India, but exempted religious assembly for Friday mosque prayers under pressure from the Indian Muslim community. Tilak believed that this effectively blocked the public assembly of Hindus whose religion did not mandate daily prayers or weekly gatherings, and he leveraged this religious exemption to make Ganesh Chaturthi to circumvent the British colonial law on large public assembly. The first sarvajanik Ganesh utsav and statue of Lord Ganesh was installed in the Keshavji Nayak Chawl at Girgaum Mumbai by Tilak in 1893. This festival then took off and is a huge festival in my home state of Maharashtra and today is a pan Indian public festival where large and small idols of Lord Ganesh are installed anywhere from 1.5 to 11 days.

On the last day, be it one and a half days, three days, five days, seven days, nine days or eleven days, the idols are taken to a large body of water, be a pond, river or the sea and immersed so that the Lord can return back to his home in Mount Kailash in the Himalayas. Offerings are made to the Lord twice a day with prayers and an arti and the holy offerings distributed to everyone.

In Mumbai, traditionally there will be Ganesh pandals or temporary structures to house the Lord in pretty much every locality of the city. If I think back, where we live in Mumbai, in a one-km radius, I can thinkof atleast 10-15 Ganpati pandals which are of varying sizes with corresponding sizes of the idols of Lord Ganesha.

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One such pandal is the one that is hosted by the GSB Seva Mandal, founded by the Goud Saraswat Brahmin community, who have installed an idol not too far from my home for the last 65 years. This is Mumbai’s most famous and richest Ganpati mandal in Mumbai whose idol each year is adorned with gold jewellery weighing around a staggering 73 kgs! This is due to the offerings made by devotees each year because of wishes that have been fulfilled. When I was in Mumbai, I used to try and make it to this pandal every year to pray. This Ganesh idol is only installed for five days and so some years, it used to be a challenge to try and make it, but I would do my best. This idol is always an eco-friendly one, made out of clay and here there is none of the usual recorded music there, instead, traditional Indian musical instruments used in south Indian temples are played.

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Another iconic Ganesh idol is the Lalbaghcha Raja or the King of Lalbagh. This is probably the most visited mandal in Mumbai, formed in 1934 and the idol comes from just one family and the design is now patent-protected. This idol draws an average of an astounding 1.5 million people daily when it is installed and people stand in lines for hours just to see and pray to this idol which they believe will fulfill their wishes. Lalbaghacha Raja has cancelled their Ganeshotsav this year in the light of the coronavirus, instead the focus will be on health, with a blood and plasma donation camp held instead.

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Only a couple of lanes from Lalbaghcha Raja is the Mumbaicha Raja which is also very popular. This mandal is well known for its new and innovative themes each year, often a replica of a famous place in India. It was formed for the benefit of the mill workers in 1928, making it the oldest one in the area. Even though this Ganesh idol is often very busy and crowded, waiting times can be as little as 20 minutes to a few hours.

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Another Ganesh mandal close-by is the Khetwadicha Ganraj, which is considered to be one of the most spectacular Ganesh idols in Mumbai. The mandal was established in 1959 but found fame in 2000, when it made the highest Ganesh idol in Indian history, standing 40 feet tall. The idol at Khetwadi is decked out in real gold jewelry and adorned with diamonds.

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The Andhericha Raja in the western suburb of Andheri is what the Lalbaugcha Raja is to south Mumbai. The mandal was established in 1966 by the workers of the Tobacco company, Tata Special Steel and Excel Industries Ltd, who moved from Lalbaug to be closer to their factories. Compared to many other famous mandals in Mumbai, the idol isn’t as towering or imposing. However, it has a reputation for fulfilling wishes. The mandal’s theme is usually a replica of a significant temple in India. This idol is different because unlike other idols which are immersed on the eleventh day which is Anant Chaturdashi, this idol is immersed on Sankashti Chaturthi, which is about five days after Anant Chaturdashi.

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Writing this post has made me super nostalgic for the Ganesh festival in Mumbai. In the last twenty years that I have been in Singapore, I have never been back for the festival and now with the pandemic and restrictions, it seems quite unlikely in the near future. Also this year, because of the lockdown and the fact that these idols attract huge crowds, many of the Ganesh mandals have either decided to not install an idol or if they do, they plan to install a small idol. The government has also banned public immersions on Anant Chaturdhashi and so according to a report I read, after four decades, 99 percent of all Mumbai’s top public Ganeshotsav organisers have decided to reduce the side of the idols to a maximum of four feet. It is said that this is only the second time in the history of Ganeshotsav that the festival would be drastically scaled down without the immersion ceremonies, and on both occasions it was due to an invisible disease, the first time being in 1896 when Pune was hit by a killer bubonic plague which claimed many lives.

To everyone who is bringing home the Vighnaharta tomorrow, Happy Ganesh Chaturi to you and your loved ones. May the remover of obstacles pave the way to success for you and yours.

Ganpati Bappa Morya, Mangal Murti Morya!