Ganesh Chaturthi means a lot of things to lots of people; for some it's a period of piety and divinity, for others it's a period of fun, frolic, gaiety and joy, as for the real afficionados this period is all about feasting and frolicking; as for me, this period used to be a period of joy, fun, gaiety, feasting and merry making during my heady childhood days spent within the four walls and compound of 37, Domlur layout, Bangalore..
My earliest memories of this period are that of earthy smells of clay and paint emanating from within the house of my next door neighbours the Rajgopalans, Ganesh Chaturthi at their house was always a period of piety, divinity, prayer, incense and last but not the least gorging on soondals, chakkali, and at least two kinds of ladoos who's names I never bothered to find out.
Ganesh Chaturthi at Kaaley Aunty's house was always filled with mirth, laughter, shouts of gay abandon, gfaiety, prayer and soft and succulent puran polis that used to melt in your mouth and always had me begging Kaaley Aunty for just that one more...
The venue or then should I say nerve centre of this divine festival gradually shifted to the Nadig residence as one grew older; one fondly remembers the colourful pandal on their roof that used to play host to nearly half the residents of Domlur layout and the waves of humanity that used to throng the same; the crowning glory of the festival for moi however used to be the delicious and aromatic bi
si bele bhath and curd rice that Nadig and Chhaya Aunty used to so thoughtfully ladle out in gigantic drums so that everybody who used to frequent their residence had their due share; we youngsters of course were entitled to double shares as we played our part as hosts by ladling out and serving the delicacies to all and sundry.
Is it any wonder then that a significant majority of me and my friends owing our origins to Domlur Layout have hearty appetites and still swear by a good meal and are prepared to scour the countryside in quest of wholesome taste and succulent food that has you salivating at the first whiff; the day of parting or Visarjan used to be a heart rending one as everybody either immersed their idols in th
e numerous wells that frequented Domlur layout or then in one of the two ponds that were a integral part and parcel of the daily existence of this rowdy bunch of kids; however this heart rending period also had it's moments of unwitting hilarity when someone used to come down on their backside with a hearty thump when they slipped in the slush or then when one had to jostle with the buffaloes who always felt that they had the right of way when it came to seeking entry into the ponds.
Ganesh Chaturthi today is a far more formal and sombre affair and restricted to family and immediate neighbours aarti's and prayers at my parents Bangalore residence, though one does still enjoy the festive period, one does really miss those boisterous and carefree childhood days and would certainly give more than a leg and an arm for one last opportunity to rewind the clock and soak in the irreverent atmosphere of Ganesh Chaturthi in Domlur Layout one last time..........
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