Welcome your inner Ganesha
Today is Ganesh Chaturthi (A Hindu festival). It is a family tradition to bring home the Ganesha (the elephant-headed god in Hindu belief) idol with great joy. I remember as a child, my dad and I would go on an idol hunt and spend copious time looking for “the one.” We’d always go for the eco-friendly ones ’cos that was a norm back then! No boujee stuff. Since it was made of fresh clay, we had to ensure the idol was intact, and there were no dents in them. Bringing him home was a celebration in itself. Oh, the details in li’l things!
Back to 2020, the nearest Indian store is at least 20 miles away — ok, what I am trying to say is I am lazy to drive and buy the idol. So I decided to make my own. Bam, I had no clay with me — so I use the regular all-purpose flour, still going for the eco-friendly option. Googled “How to make Ganesha with Flour” and get started. I had to knead the flour. For a minute there, I was thinking to myself — this was going to be molded into a god, and I cannot knead the dough. But then if I did not, how was I going to make the idol!? So I decided to press ahead with the kneading anyway. Halfway through, his ears did not turn up the way I wanted, there were some dents (damn we can’t have those), so I had to re-knead the dough and re-shape it. This happened a few times, and each time, my heart sank ’cos, I had to unglue flour from the idol. Yeah, we can be superstitious that way, but I finally created Ganesha!
And there he was, sitting at my home in all his glory. He had arrived. For the ones that are celebrating, you know what a great feeling this is!
I am sharing this ’cos 2020 is not a year we anticipated it to be. We thought 2019 was crappy and welcomed the new year with hopes, dreams and a twinkle in our eyes. We were put through the wringer alright! And, the possibility life has in store still remains a distant illusion. Yes, many lost their loved ones. And there is no taking away that pain for a long time. For a minute, though, think of all the changes you are undergoing at this very moment. You are not the same person you were back in January. You have changed in some way or the other.
2020 humbled us. It taught us we are still raw flour that needs kneading to become a better version of ourselves, to unlock the power we have within us that was left unexplored. Yes, there will be pain along the way, but the outcome would be better consciousness and one step closer to the divine. I grew up watching Ramayan and Mahabharat (ancient Indian epics), and if there is one thing they taught me, even the most evolved souls had to go through karma!
We will celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi next year. We will welcome a newer version of our inner Ganesha, our consciousness, but trust that you are changing for the better, every time you are being kneaded.
Happy Ganesh Chaturthi.
