• 
  Shilpa Shirodkar
• 
  Himanshu Soni
• 
  Hiten Tejwani
• 
  Mohit Malik
• 
  Shilpa Shirodkar
• 
  Aditya Redij
• 
  Usha Nadkarni

Shilpa Shirodkar: “I don’t really have a lot of memories from my childhood, as a kid I was too scared to actually go out and take the initiative to actively participate in the Visarjan. I still feel uneasy in crowds and to be very honest, any place with too many people dancing or playing with colour, scares me. The year before last, I went for my first Visarjan at Juhu beach and especially during the aarti, you see a different energy in the house and that is why I feel very sad when we have to bid adieu to bappa. Three years ago I went to Lalbaugcha Raja for a special darshan at 3 am. This year I wish to go and see him again because I absolutely adore him.”

Himanshu Soni: “I am originally from Jaipur and back home, for Ganesh Chaturthi, men get mehendi on their hands and the day culminates with a small Ganesh Pooja. When I first came to Bombay, I saw Ganesh Visarjan happening on television. I was amazed to see so many people religiously celebrating this festival together. I have heard a lot about Lalbaugcha Raja and this time I am going to make sure that I take time out to visit the pandal.”

Usha Nadkarni: “I used to live in Grant Road during the initial years of my life. I have fond memories of Sarvajanik Ganesh Visarjan that we all used to do together as a colony. It was so much fun when everyone used to sing, dance and play games like Phugdi, Jimma on the way to the Visarjan ground. After marriage, I stopped going to pandals as I used to prefer being at my brother’s place and spending some time with him rather than going out. Moreover, Ganpati is my favourite God and his blessings are with me always.”

Hiten Tejwani: “When we were kids it used to be a very exciting ritual to go visit Ganpati in different homes in our society. The main charm was, of course, that we got to eat sweets, especially Modak. Eventually we started taking responsibility of organizing these celebrations in our society. Everyone is in a very nice festive mood and I enjoy attending the rituals that take place. Visarjan, of course is a very important occasion, we go dancing and if at all it starts raining, then everyone goes into a different frenzy altogether. This year I’ll most probably be in Pune with my family for the occasion. Since the last three-four years we have been going to Lalbaugcha Raja and given a chance I would love to go again.”  

Mohit Malik: “Ganpati holds a very special place in my life and I have been celebrating it with my family for years. This time too, my parents will be coming to visit me. Visarjan is the liveliest time and I remember last year I went for the Visarjan with my friends and family and we all danced, sang and had a lot of fun. This year for the first time we are bringing Ganeshji home for five days, till now we’ve had  him over for one and a half days or three days. All the credit for that of course goes to my wife, she is the one who really wanted us to bring him home for five days this year. Also, if I get the time I would love visit Lalbaugcha Raja with my family.”

Aditya Redij: “I have many fond memories of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. I am from Kolhapur and there we used to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi on a large scale. I used to participate in the pandals of my society for which preparations used to start months in advance. From selecting the perfect idol of Ganeshji to deciding the colours and decorations, I used to play an integral part in making the whole event grand. These memories will always remain fresh in my mind. This year I’ll be having a pooja at home and if time permits I am looking forward to go visit Lalbaugcha Raja, which I haven’t had a chance to visit since I’ve been in Bombay. In Pune, when I was in college I remember going to the famous Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati  on our bikes, parking 5-10 kms away and then walking all the way. The kind of feeling that you get after visiting these pandals where you find spiritual presence is really amazing. ThisGanesh Chaturthi is going to be very special because the kind of work I’ve been doing in Bandhan is somewhat on these lines.”




- Dharmishtha Dagia