Ganesha, bless us

Sunday sees the annual arrival of Lord Ganesha to our shores, the remover of obstacles and the deity of new beginnings. His legends are many, from being the scribe who took down the Mahabharata to his love for sweet modaks.

For the next 10 days, Maharashtra will reverberate with celebrations in his name, though of course the festival is also celebrated in varying degrees of gaiety in other parts of the country. The love for him is not limited to Hindus alone. The elephant-headed god breaks all barriers, religious, economic and even generational — he is a cool divine icon for the young. Never has been the need felt more for someone who brings hope and good cheer.

This time of the year is when India kicks in to the festival season, made resplendent by our many cultures, religions, communities and regions. After Ganesha departs, it will be time for Ramzan Eid — the fasting for devout Muslims has begun.

Then, the goddess Kali arrives. From Navratri in Gujarat to Ram Leela in the North to Durga Puja in the East, she brings her own good tidings. Soon after it will be Diwali, the festival of lights that brings the whole country together and then at the end of the year, Christmas to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

The timing of these festivals is not a coincidence — the ancients usually had their ritualistic celebrations around the harvest season and that is now become a well-entrenched tradition. In which case, the Ganesh festival could not have come at a more significant time.

This year, we require a remover of obstacles, which are many, as badly as we need new beginnings. The spectre of drought coupled with a failed monsoon is the main source of worry across the country. The domino effect of that could fall with even more force on the economy, already precarious given the global situation. Inflation is already a factor. As if economic travails were not enough, swine flu is spreading fear: the people need Ganesha more than ever before.

Of course, it is India’s politicians who will also be looking to Ganesha with the most  longing. The Congress and the other parties in the UPA rode to success in the general elections with great euphoria. But since then, life has been difficult, what with everything from foreign policy to aviation to health coming under heavy scrutiny.

The opposition parties are racked with their own internal upheavals. Help, then, is required all round.

The many gods and goddesses of India will find a country that is trying hard not to fall into despair. What we need is benediction and a reason to celebrate. Ganesha, astride his mouse, has arrived at a very good time.