Ganpati Visarjan

This was the first time, when I went for the Ganpati Visarjan at the lake in Bhopal.
The enjoyment, vibrant colors, thrilled people dancing & shouting slogans on the roads with great spirits was exciting to see.The religious mood in the environment was beautifully felt at night. Every age group was equally thrilled & involved with all sizes of Ganpati idols to be immersed in the small lake.

Last year in Mumbai, I couldn’t dare to step out of the house on this occasion.
But there were many jingles heard on radio, we made a documentary & several NGO’s were working to promote eco friendly Ganpati. Also with municipal corporation’s efforts artificial ponds were built for the immersion.

Everything till last year was bookish for me to pictureize the water pollution, may be because I never saw the procedure.
This year with comparatively less crowed on that spot (Swine flu being one reason) the garbage seen was insane. For a moment I lost that image of the beautiful Bhopal. With so much being advertised about the alternatives to celebrate this occasion, year after year it remains the same.I lost that charm of festivity seeing this scenario, were the Ganpati’s idol was thrown from a height.

It isn’t about anything else but respect. Respect for your culture & respect of your city.Unfortunately both of the important aspects were missing.