Couples celebrate Ganeshotsav for the first time together

September 14, 2016

Bappa is with us for just one more day but the city is still bubbling with excitement as the festivities continue. Ganeshotsav is an enjoyable time for all but even more so for couples who are celebrating it together for the first time as well as for those have been celebrating it together since years.

For Pooja and Amey Pimpley, a newly married couple, keeping a Ganapati idol at home was a divine experience. “I am from Nagpur and I have never kept an idol during the festival at my home. We kept one for a day-and-a-half and I really enjoyed the experience. Though our families couldn’t come, several friends were there to make it more special,” explains Amey. But for Pooja, Ganeshotsav holds a rather special place, “I met Amey in college and we liked each other but my parents didn’t approve because our caste wasn’t the same. Since then I have been praying to Ganapati to have him as my husband. This time the festival is special because it is the first time that I have shared the experience with Amey,” says Pooja. The couple, both IT professionals in the city, have decided to continue this tradition every year.

Hailing from different parts of Gujarat, Jay and Umangi Thakkar weren’t sure about keeping a Ganapati idol until the night before the festival started. “We’re both working in the IT sector and we wanted to find a Ganapati that would represent intelligence. We were hunting for an idol wherein you can see Ganapati writing or having spectacles. We finally found one at night. Both of us are still growing in our careers. We managed to keep the idol for seven days and do the aarti twice in a day. Initially, we weren’t sure about how we’ll manage the prayers as both of us work,” mentions Umangi. Though, Jay credits the idea of keeping an idol at home to his wife, “It was my wife’s idea that since we’re in Maharashtra, we should celebrate the festival. I have been in Pune since the past three years but it has only been seven months for her in the city.”

It is indeed for the first time in 30 years of togetherness that Padma and Ashok Chakraborty decided to celebrate Ganeshotsav at their home. “I have been in Pune since the last 40 years but we just felt like keeping an idol this year. Our decoration was very simple and so was the idol. We wanted to make sure that we celebrate the festival with utmost simplicity,” says Ashok who along with his wife, kept the idol for the first five days.

Many temples, mandals, homes and devotees are preparing themselves to say a final goodbye to Bappa as he is with us for just one more day. The city is gearing up to prep for the visarjan with great excitement and fervour to give Bappa a grand send off.