PUBLISHED on the Internet: Sept. 12, 2005. Revised Oct. 4, 2005.
|
Again, at the bottom, this even more fantastic and indeed, grotesque article appears on this demon:God of all beginnings
His name is invoked to ensure an auspicious beginning and to remove all vighna (obstacles). He ensures the success of ventures. And for writers and scribes, he is a patron saint; it was he who jotted down the Mahabharata dictated by the sage Ved Vyasa and by all accounts, he wrote at the speed of Vyasa's thought. But most of all, for a city that has been hit, in rapid succession, by nature's fury, epidemics and house crashes, Ganesh comes as a welcome respite this year.
Despite their recent misfortunes, Bombayites are showing no signs that this year's festivities will be muted or at a low key. The fervour of the devotees is more than matched by the zeal of the organisers; gone are the days when the Ganpati festival was a quiet family affair. Today the whole neighbourhood participates, and the local politico uses it as a means to display his muscle. During the British Raj, Bal Gangadhar Tilak used the festival to collect crowds and spread the message of freedom; today, it is a battle between who can be more garish and bigger. Many purists complain that the old simplicity is gone and commercialisation has overwhelmed the spirit of the festival. Yet, there is little doubt that it is a time of rejoicing, a time when the whole city gets carried away by enthusiasm and the sheer infectious energy of the festival.
It is significant to note that in the vast pantheon of Hindu divinity, Ganesh has managed to emrge as the most popular god of contemporary times. What explains his popularity even in this day and age of information technology? His somewhat cute and cuddly visage and bearing certainly plays a role, as does his impishness. From the myths surrounding him, to the elephant's trunk to his grand vehicle, his mouse, all contribute to the "Ganpati brand".
Over the next 10 days, Bombay and the rest of Maharashtra state will resonate to the sounds of "Ganpati bappa morya". Every nook and cranny will have his image and Bombayites old as well as young, rich as well as poor will invoke his name. They will all have their private communion with Ganesh, but it would be wonderful if they all also asked for his blessings to this wonderful but blighted city. Being a god responsible for managing the business of prosperity, he has the authority and the means.
Also in the Sept. 7, 2005 edition of D.N.A., Society Tea has placed a large, half page advertisement bearing a picture of a porcelain idol of the demon Ganpati, with the words "Vighaneshaya Namaha" under it. To it's right is this text:Reflexions: Ganpati stars in eight Maharashtrian tales
By Surpriya Rai, a publisher of spiritual books.
The Ashta Vinayaka temples of south-east Maharashtra attract pilgrims in hundreds of thousands every year. Each of these eight temples has a uniqued depiction of Ganpati, replete with colourful legends about that form. Typically, Ganpati is the valiant knight rushing to the aid of gods and sages.
Moregaon enshrines Mayureshwara, the peacock riding Ganesha, who defeated the demon Sindhu. Sindhu, buoyed by the boon of immortality, had detained the gods. Ganesha rid the world of this menace. he also retrieved the precious jewel, Chintamani, of sage Kapila. The grateful sage gifted it to Ganesha, who is worshipped as Sri Chintamani in Thevoor in Poona. Sri Girijatmaja is the child Ganesha, born to Girija (Parvati) after she performed austere penance at the Lenyadri hills. He consented to be born as her son and lived there for 12 years.
The legend of Siddhivinayak of Siddhatek says that Brahma, the supreme god of the Hindus, had failed to propiated Ganesha before he created the universe. As a result, two demons grew out of the god Vishnu's ears and played havoc in the three worlds. It is only when Brahma atoned for his lapse that order was restored. The great Shiva, too, had to appeal to Ganesha's help to defeat Tripura-Asura and destroy his kingdom. In gratitude, Shiva built the Mahaganapati shrine at Ranjangaon. Indra, king of the gods, was not far behind. He had created Vighna-Asura to subdue King Abhinandan. But Vighna-Asura ran amok. By reining him in, Ganesha became Vighneshwara, the remover of obstacles.
Ballaleshwara of Pali is the form Ganesha took to honour his boy devotee, Ballal, who had infuriated his father by his devotion to Ganesha. The boy was beaten senseless and tied to a tree, but Ganesha rescued him, staying with him forever, in his hometown of Pali. The Varadavinayaka of Mahad had granted young Grutsamadh his wish, hence the name. Grutsamadh wished to atone for his mother Mukunda's shameful dalliance with Indra which had resulted in his birth.
The WorshippedIn some of my articles on Hinduism, I had pointed out how, among the Greeks, in the period immediately before the Apostles began to evangelize them, a social consensus had developed that forbade the public recitation of the mythologies of the Greek 'gods' because they were obscene and unacceptable to a people who wished to be moral; how that this progress from immoralities to morality was essential to the conversion of the Greeks to Christianity; and how the Hindus never reached this stage in moral development a fact that tells rather against them, and the 'civilisation' they boast of!
Begetter of first prayers.
Adorner of moon.
Ruler of hearts.
Ganesha, the beloved of all.
The Protector
Armed with axe and ankush,
the guardian angel looks after you.
Come water, Come fire, Come rumour,
He will guide you through.
The Festive
Drums and conches,
modak and prasad
sholakas and prayers,
announces that he is here.
The air fills with
jubilation and festivity,
a time for food, guests and tea.
Loudspeakers are a comparatively recent invention, and mankind has lived for centuries and millenia without. As a matter of fact, all the major religions were founded and propagated long before the invention of loudspeakers. Why then do you claim that you cannot do without?Recently, however, the Indian Supreme Court, bowing to public pressure, has granted exemption to the Hindus for the nine-day "Navrarti" festival for the entire nine days for Gujarat state and for the last two days for Maharashtra state.
The pretension made by any religion or adherent that they cannot celebrate their festivities due to this ban is pure nonsense!
The Criminal Matthew Damhave |
"Imitation of Christ" Seventh House Pr., 498 Seventh Avenue, 24th Floor, New York City, New York State. U.S.A. Zip Code: 10018. Tel: 212-643-4810. Fax: 212-9716066. |
The Criminal Tara Lyn Subkoff |