Exclusive! I Love Visiting Pandals During Ganpati Festivities: Meghna

In an exclusive conversation with whosthat360, Meghna gets candid about her Ganpati celebrations. She also shares what significance this festival holds for her.

Check out the edited excerpts from this conversation;

What makes this Ganpati celebration particularly special for you?

We bring Ganpati to our home to bless us with immense happiness and prosperity every year. For us, he is like our family member, whatever we eat we always first give it to Ganpati Bappa and then have it as a prasad.  Our entire house gets decorated along with special themes to welcome Ganpati Bappa. All of my friends alone with my own self have gotten caught up in our busy lives but at this one time of the year, all our friends visit each other's place to seek blessings from Ganpati Bappa and it's a great way to socialize once again and feel connected all together sharing all our memories altogether. Playing games at night like housie, Ludo, etc along with your family is one of the best times spent with them. Although after 7 days we have to bid him goodbye right after the visarjan we start our countdown again and wait for the next year eagerly.

Can you share a cherished childhood memory with this festival that still makes you smile?

Childhood memory has to be with Modaks which are ganpati bappa's favourite food. While mom used to cook modaks for Bappa's prasad I used to steal the coconut and jaggery filling which were made and kept aside to fill in the dough. I used to steal a handful of filling along with my sisters and then sit aside in a corner near the stairs and eat it.

How has your connection with Ganpati evolved over the years, and what significance does it hold in your life today?

Over the years the importance and significance of the festival has become more meaningful to me. Growing up I used to see my family making sure that all the rules and regulations were always followed properly if u are having the Ganpati festival at your home you can rarely make any mistake because it can upset god very easily and now as I  have become more responsible with time and age I take up more responsibilities and make sure that every ritual is conducted the way it should without any errors. This time of the festival has made me realize that responsibilities are not given to u but rather self-taken to take care of Ganpati Bappa

What is your favorite aspect of the Ganpati festival, and how do you like to celebrate it?

My Favourite aspect of the Ganpati Festival is visiting all my friends' houses and meeting them after a long time. I love pandal Hopping, If you are from Mumbai you would definitely know the significance of Lal Baug-cha Maharaja's Darshan. So, every year I make sure that I visit Lal Baug to seek the blessings of Ganpati Bappa. The most interesting part of Lal Baug is it was started by the fishermen of the area and still the Murti sits in the same place which is right next to the fish market.

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Are there any family traditions or rituals that you follow during Ganpati, and what's the story behind them?          

We have a tradition of bringing the idol home early in the morning, and everyone in the family takes turns carrying it, symbolizing that Bappa is a part of all our lives. This tradition started with my grandmother, who believed that involving everyone in the welcoming of Ganpati made his blessings stronger. We've carried this forward as a way to bond as a family and ensure we all contribute to the celebration.