Dilemmas of today

   The anticipation of the million eyes ceases today as the Ganesh Utsav completes its glorious 125 years amidst controversy about its inception. The 'Ganpati Bappa Morya ' chants, the aartis are heard all around. The markets are overcrowded and galore with Ganesh idols, the fragrance of the flowers, modaks and decorative items.   This festival finds its roots way back in history when Shivaji Maharaj established the Maratha Empire in the 16th century. Later the Peshwas kept up with the tradition and observed Ganesha as their family deity but the celebrations were only confined to their individual homes. It was in the year 1893 that the idea of public gala was initiated by Lokmanya Tilak. He installed his first Ganpati idol in Vinchurkar Wada at Sadashiv Peth in Pune. In the view to bring people of various stratas of society- educated, non educated, young and old together, to participate in the National Movement against the British. Tilak encouraged the Melas and also...

   After hard hitting last couple of blogs I am taking a breather with this one. This one seemed to be an easy topic at first but gave a tough time to finish. Yes, it's my birthday week. But I don't know whether to be happy celebrating my 21st birthday or to be sad at loosing my innocent ages too soon. I don't know whether this happens with everyone or not but leading to my birthday each year my family, especially my mom, aunts and grandmothers discuss about me all day. How naughty I was in my childhood, where and when was I born, how I used to cry at night and not let anybody sleep, how I used to throw everything away preferably on my neighbour's roof, how I used to never walk and needed someone to pick me up. I get completely amazed as I can't obviously remember my naughtiness, I blush when my relatives tell me that you've changed drastically.      Well, this year was all the same. The same relatives visiting, me chilling out with my friends, 12'o clock ...