It is a given that our fair city is a melting pot of cultures. Today is Ganesh Chaturthi and we talk to Bangaloreans about the customs and rituals they’ve brought with them to namma Bengaluru.
School teacher Vishaka Gaikwad from Mumbai says: “There are so many Mumbaikars in Bangalore who do not go home for the festival so we make it a community celebration. If only the sea were here, we wouldn’t have missed out on too much!”
Shrithi Haridas, a student of management studies says: “I moved from Trivandrum to Bangalore and I tend to feel homesick especially around Ganesh Chaturthi each year. However, my local guardians are Malayali too so we do milk abhishekam, decorate the with flowers and rangoli and break coconuts as an act of repentance.”
Corporate trainer Puja Ayyagiri says: “According to the Tamil tradition, we adorn the idol with garlands and Bermuda grass. We also make laddoos in addition to modaks. Clay and papier-mâché idols are popular in Chennai and we keep the same at home.
Andhra Pradesh is known for its festive sweets and Karan Reddy, a chef-in-training, says: “The Naivedhyam tradition is very close to our hearts irrespective of where we live. On this day, an assortment of the god’s favourite sweets is offered to him. And the modakam is just one of the many traditional sweets we make.”
Bangalore is home to many Goans too. Roop Chatim who works at a BPO says: “Back home, the run-up to Ganesh Chaturthi is very exciting. With so many of my relatives settled in Bangalore now, we observe month-long pujas and that’s when we bring out our unique musical instruments like the Ghumot and other classical instruments. The harvest festival that follows Ganesh Chaturthi is equally exciting and my family back home still celebrates it with pomp.”
Home sure might be where the heart is but with the city embracing traditions of every kind, it’s not hard to understand why outsiders love Bangalore so much.
