Ganesh Chaturthi & the Aura of Festivity

Ganpati Bappa Moriya, Mangal Murti Moriya

Vibrant idols travelling across the streets or seated in beautifully decorated pandals with millions of folks dancing around in festive spirit over melodious music, dhol beats and aroma of lip-smacking delicacies tempting your taste buds is what announces the arrival of Lord Ganesha. The euphoric carnival decked with hues of togetherness is celebrated with much fervor all across the country. The eccentric union of culture and art is visible thoroughfare and enthusiasm of welcoming Ganpati is masked with frolic verve. Digging down streets for magnificent Ganesha idols, brainstorming decorative ideas, shuffling music lists and being a Jack Nohi in mother’s kitchen helped us frame Ganpati special catalogue, which is a must read for globetrotters, creative geniuses, secret chefs and dancing stars. Just like whole of India, Bangalore too is gearing up to celebrate the grandiose Ganesh Chaturthi. And if you are wondering what and where, this article is for you.

The Ganesha Hamlets

The Bangalore vicinity is famous for hosting multi-cultural folks, settling which invites diverse festivals with harmonious beliefs. The chirpy city organizes Ganesh Chaturthi celebration at various avenues that becomes mainstay attractions and fascinates all eyeballs. The scintillating trail of Ganpati pandals at Bengaluru Ganesha Utsav, Basavanagudi is the most awaited avenue among people for its mega jamboree that dovetails music, dance, food, devotion and celebration with one jovial thread. Taking forward this legacy of grandeur and elegance, metropolitan gallerias such as Inorbit Mall, Forum Mall, Orion Mall & Prestige Shantiniketan crafts together multiple stalls for decorative artifacts, pooja materials and often organizes various workshops for idol making activities.

For inquisitive spearheads, Observing Ganesha at EKA locations is not to be missed as the festival attracts people for its art of Ganesha making. Not to forget the idol shopping, suitable for which are the flea markets at Magadi road, Malleswaram, Sunday Bazaar and the most appealing Jayanagar 4^th block. For those wanting to dive into spiritual spectrum, Dodda Ganesha temple, Panchamukha Ganapati temple, Shri Jambu Ganapathi temple, Ananthnagar Ganapathi temple and Maha Ganapathi temple is worth a visit for their extravagance and extraordinary worshipping style. Pin the board with your travel checklist and come become a hue of Ganpati rainbow.

The Ganesha Euphony

Beautifully embellished pandals, scrumptious savoury desserts and fancy couture bespeaks the beginning of 10-day long festival. But wait! Something’s missing. What else than musical jamming. The usher happiness of grooving on streets with your dear ones on melodious tunes has become Ganesh Chaturthi motif, over the years. Right from devotional songs to bustling Bollywood beats, every feat whirls and twirls to make the festival even more special. As the groovy beats crowns good times, so begins your hunt for mellifluous music list.

Deva Shree Ganesha (Agneepath)

Gajanana (Bajirao Mastani)

Sadda Dil Vi Tu (ABCD)

Mourya Re (Don)

Aala Re Aala (Daddy)

Bappa (Banjo)

My Friend Ganesha (My Friend Ganesha)

Shree Ganeshay Dheemahi (Viruddh)

Sindoor Lal Chadayo (Vaastav)

The Ganesha Décor

The moment you enter Ganpati pandal, your eyes search for grandstand where the majestic idol rests. Prolific gizmos and unnatural, bogus materials are often used to deck up platforms and make them appear beautiful and extraordinary. But now is the time to flip the coin and go eco-friendly this festive season! Drape your pandals with non-toxic artifacts and brainstorm quirky designs to adorn your idols with simplest material available.

Opt for paper quilling crafting and roll down colourfull strips into eccentric shapes to decorate your Ganpati corner. While origami decoration is a wonderful panacea for those expert in paper folding, LED lighting, glittering diyas and glass jar lanterns are ideal for techy devotees. Go for theme based decoration with flowers and fragrance this Ganesh Chaturthi and take a quest in your wardrobes for fancy drapes like colorful sarees and embellished dupattass, which are ideal for vibrant backgrounds. 

The Ganesha Idol

Hunting down streets, exploring each corner to search out that one ideal idol is a tough task. Turn the table this season and go for eco-friendly idols made from ceramic, clay, natural fibres and other bio-degradable materials. Although colorful idols add an extra glamour to the festival, White Ganesha sculptures have invaded the market with full swing and here is your chance to grab one and go green.

Nothing can be as beautiful as Ganpati Visarjan, though its a teary moment where we wish our lord to bless us throughout the year and return soon to this world of mortals. The auspicious submersion scene marks the 10^th day of Ganesh Chaturthi wherein the devotees bid a cheerful adieu to Ganesha for him to return again next year. To witness this huge exodus, you can travel down to three city spots – Sankey Tank, Ulsoor Lake and Basavanagudi.

The Ganesha Feast

The arrival of festive season is the arrival of unending desserts and the opportunity to ditch your calorie-free diet. From Maharashtrian puran poli modak to Dilli ke laddo and Karnataka’s karjikai to Tamil Nadu’s payasam, every pudding becomes extra delicious. Instead of pondering over food joints, pick up your chef caps, follow the recipe and cook some mouth-watering desserts within minutes.

Puran Poli Modak :

Ingredients

For Dough: 4 cups rice flour, 6 cups water, 6 teaspoon oil

For Stuffing: ¾ cup chana dal (soaked for 90 minutes), 2 ½ cup water, ¾ cup jaggery/sugar, pinch of cardamom powder and a little saffron

Method

For Dough:

Boil water and add one tsp oil. Take the utensil off the heat.

Add rice little by little to avoid lumps. Mix well and cover the mixture to let it cool. 

Once cool, knead the mixture into smooth dough and cover it with a damp cloth.

For Stuffing:

Wash soaked chana dal and place it in the pressure cooker with two and a half cups of water. Cook the dal for four whistles.

Once done, drain the dal water through a sieve and press the dal gently to drain out all water until it the dal gets a little mashed.

Take a pan and add mashed dal with jaggery. Heat the pan on medium flame. Start cooking.

Once the jaggery melts completely, it will be of very thin consistency. Continue stirring and cooking.

When it starts thickening up, add cardamom powder and saffron. Mix well.

Take the pan off the heat and keep it aside for cooling.

For Assembling Modak:

Make balls with the dough for covering.

Flatten the dough balls on the palm or on a surface into a circle.

Place the stuffing inside and cover it completely with the dough by folding the edges tapering to the centre.

Steam cook the modaks in a cooker or idly container for 15 minutes until done. Serve and Enjoy.

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Karjikai

Ingredients

For stuffing: ¾ cup dry coconut, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tbsp poppy seeds/khus khus, 5 cashews chopped, 10 rasins chopped, 5 almonds chopped, ¼ tsp cardamom powder

For Dough: 1 cup maida/all-purpose flour/plain flour, salt to taste, 2 tbsp ghee hot, ½ cup warm milk or as required to knead dough

Method

For Stuffing:

In a large mixing bowl take dry coconut.

Add powdered sugar, poppy seeds, chopped dry fruits and cardamom powder. Mix well and keep it aside.

For Dough:

In a large mixing bowl take maida and salt to taste.

Pour hot ghee over maida and crumble the dough slightly.

Now add milk and knead the dough until thick.

Cover with a moist cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.

For Assembling Karjikai:

Make small dough balls, roll to slightly thick puris and cut to a round shape.

Grease with warm milk to the puri edges. Now place a tsp of coconut stuffing in the middle of the puri.

Stick the edges together forming a crescent shape and gently press the edges. Now the fold the edges inside. Ensure that there is no gap between the edges.

Deep fry until they turn golden brown. Drain the excess oil. Serve and Enjoy. 

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