Bappa lives in the hearts of Mumbaites

So it’s that time of the year once again when people from all walks of life, so long as they are Mumbaites, step across the boundaries of religion and come together to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi. One must be here (in Mumbai/Bombay) to completely understand and feel the festive fervour and celebrations that go on for a good 10/11 days. This year, once again, we were lucky enough to be a part of this joyous and uniting festival. We had our own Ganesh Puja for 1 and 1/2 day and when you go for the Visarjan, it’s an altogether different experience. It’s like the entire city, the traffic, the pedestrians, the shopkeepers, people in their balconies, the guy in the Mercedes as well as the beggar and just about everyone is invited to be a part of the revelry. Shouts of "Ganpati Bappa Morya" never seem to drown; everyone seems to be at their best behaviour. If you want to know what I mean, try cutting a lane on an ordinary day at the risk of receiving a few swear words. But on this day, people will only be polite and humble as they collectively take part in saying goodbye to their beloved lord for the year. As he slowly becomes a part of the vastness of the Arabian Sea, his devotees crane their neck to catch a last glimpse of their lord. And then, they go back home, a little sad, but with a lot of hope that next year he will once again come home and pay them a visit. "Ganpati Bappa Morya, Pudchya Varshi Lavkar Ya!"