Echoes & Tremors: Ganpati Bappa Morya!

Glimpses from that time of the year, when my city tremors
Tremors to the beats of 'dhols and tashas.'

Glimpses from that time of the year, when my city echoes
Echoes with one singular voice, 'Ganpati Bappa Morya'

Glimpses from that time of the year, when my city celebrates
Celebrates the exuberant Utsav - Ganeshotsav!

The Ganesh idol moulded and ready awaiting to be painted. :) Clicked near Alka Talkies Chowk, Pune where the murtikaars live.

I came across this simple yet beautiful Ganpati mandap decoration and decided to capture it in a different way. Thus the bokeh. :)

And the enchanting Ganesha inside the lit up mandap. Such deft!

Attended the Jnana Prabhodini Ganeshotsav miravnuk, this Anant Chaturdashi. This is one of the most unique and disciplined groups from the city.

The dhol players are super-energetic, playing with intense passion throughout the procession.

As they play these boys perform little tricks which are absolute fun to look at, yet at the same time not as easy to do as it looks like. Here, Nikhil the dhol player is performing the 'dhol-lift' as he plays. The higher the dhol goes (sometimes higher than your head) as you play, apparently the stronger and better you are. :)

And here is my friend Paresh beating away at the dhol with utmost pleasure. Had I asked him what's happiness, I'm sure he would have replied playing the dhol and getting lost in the trance-like beats. For that's what his face reflects. Am I right?

There are stories all around you. And, this one is of an old woman staring down at yet another Ganpati Miravnuk, reminiscing of the by gone era and of the numerous Ganeshotsavs she's seen in her life. Contemplating about the changes time has brought with it and yet pleased with the familiar beats, she enjoys the moment. While, at the same time a young man adorned in ethnicity clicks his fellow mates in action with his Canon DSLR.

There's something synergistic about this moment. That fraction of a second when all hands are lifted, the beats of the tashas more audible before the 'tiprus' hit the dhol, all at the same time. :) Ecstatic.

Paresh leads this dhol pathak. He stands in the centre and around him are the other dhol and tasha players. One can see his remarkable exuberance as he beats the dhol with transonic fervour and passion.

The future dhol players! Following their elder dadas' footsteps to imbibe the same passion, unity and synergy.

'Playing the dhol doesn't tire me. I can go on and on...', thinks Soham, another of the group's best dhol players.

Prabhodini's Ganpati on its way to Visarjan, only to come back laukar, pudhchya varshi. :)