Journey to the City of Virtue: Anant Chaturdashi (last day of Ganpati festival)

We left the house around 12pm, took the two-wheelers as close as we could get to the crowds, then went the rest of the way on foot. The crowds weren’t too bad, but on our way back around 130pm, it was already getting ridiculous. You literally have to squeeze your way through people while trying to avoid getting pick-pocketed, groped (accidentally or intentionally), falling in holes (my specialty), or losing your group which can be avoided by desperately clinging to them.

The main procession goes along a 2km road and it takes about 5 hours to make it’s way to the river for the final immersion of the idols. We held hands in a line and weaved our way through the crowds for a while, stopping occasionally to take a picture of the beautiful sand art on the roads. We went to see my host-brother briefly too while he was on a break from drumming. He left this morning around 8am to meet up with his drum group for the processions. And he’ll return around 12pm tomorrow. No, he’s not going to sleep. He’s literally drumming (and probably enjoying the festivities) until tomorrow around lunchtime. We finally made it to a small space in the sidewalk, where my host-parents ushered me into an Alice-in-Wonderland-like door and led us up three flights of stairs to a friend’s home. I’m serious, the door was like a doggy flap cut into a larger door, but it was big enough for us to squeeze through.

We went out on their balcony and then the rooftop terrace. Best. View. Ever. It was perfect. You could see everything, including the endless flow of people as you looked back toward the starting point of the procession. There were drummers, flag dancers, performers with cymbals and tassels, horses, costumes, more musicians, and then of course the Ganpati idols in descending order from the “First” Ganpati who is considered the guardian of Pune. (I wrote about him in my Puja/Pooja entry).

The sand art was absolutely beautiful. So intricate. So many different colors. Everywhere, there were beautiful colors, sparkles, and red powder being thrown on people. The noise was... I can’t even describe it. I’m pretty sure I’ve been to quieter dubstep concerts. It’s insane. There will be a group of drummers with those huge drums worn around the waist, making an intense thumping sound. Then a few feet behind them there’s a group of musicians playing jazz instruments. Behind them, a group of young boys with cymbals. Behind them, people chanting into the loudspeaker, and then music playing out of speakers the size of my body. It’s incredible. And there’s no end to it. When we finally got home, I felt exhausted. It was unreal. We were only there for like 1.5 hours but it took a lot out of me, weaving through the crowds, the heat, and the noise. Clearly, I’m not cut out for festival season because the rest of the city will be out there celebrating until tomorrow afternoon.

It really is amazing though. My host-father asked me if we had anything like it in the U.S. and I was caught off guard. July 4th on the National Mall? Not even close. I can’t speak to New Year’s Eve in New York City so that may be able to compare, I don’t know. I mean, the entire city and thousands of people from around the country come here to celebrate this God, Lord Ganesha, that they put so much faith in. Even my exhaustion couldn’t push away my desire to dance gaily through the streets. The festive spirit is infectious.

My host-parents aren’t crazy about the crowds and they’re protective (as they should be), so I’ll watch the rest of the festivities from my quiet flat on the television. Apparently people will start getting obnoxiously drunk soon, playing louder and louder music, taking part in “vulgar dancing” and generally acting like hooligans. Sounds fun, right? But I was advised not to leave the house. I had enough for one day anyways. Here’s some of the pictures I got of the procession!