Indians in Seoul celebrate Ganeshotsav with fervour

Ganeshotsav was celebrated with much pomp and gaiety in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. Over 350 members of the small Indian community here came together to celebrate the festival at the Student Auditorium of the Seoul National University (SNU) situated in the heart of the city.

Seoul, which is regarded as Asia's first 'world city', has a small section of Indians who are either working or running some business. On September 19, members of the Indian community got together and enthusiastically celebrated the popular Indian festival. The auditorium was decorated in traditional Indian style, the way it is usually done in their home country.

"We have been celebrating Ganeshotsav since 2007 with the members of Indian community in Seoul," said Abhijit Ghosh, master of ceremonies, a leading member of the organising committee. "We invited as many as 350 people residing in Seoul and other adjacent areas," he said.

For Samarth Shroff, a Gujarati origin software engineer from Mumbai, the celebration reminded him of India. "I have been in Seoul for only a month. I enjoyed the Ganesha Pooja and the celebration. It felt as if I were in Mumbai. There are so many Indians around here, at times I feel like home," said Shroff.

Kamala Roy, a founder of Iskcon temple and Vedic cultural centre in Seoul said, "We celebrate the festival every year with much pomp and fervour, the same way as it is celebrated in India. People feel exhilarated when they celebrate Indian festivals." The function was organised jointly by Vedic cultural centre and Seoul National University.

"We recently celebrated Janmashtami and then we decided to move on to Ganeshotsav," said Brijesh Bolar, a volunteer and IT expert of the centre.

All the people of Indian origin attended the ceremony and participated in the pooja and bhajans. Volunteers and ladies also sang bhajans of Lord Ganesha. In addition to these, they also performed Odissi and Bharatnatyam dances. Many children were seen adorned in the attire of various gods and goddess. The function ended with an Indian feast.

Abhijit Jadav, who was there with his wife Ashlesha, said, "We are celebrating Ganeshotsav for the first time in Seoul. We met lot of Indians and devotees from our motherland. This is an occasion which binds us to our culture and brings all Indians together."
Sateesh Kumar Talupuri, said, "It was delightful to see some Korean kids chanting Vedic mantras."  He added, "The solo Odissi performance by a young child was really awesome. A Russian lady, an Iskcon follower, gave a breathtaking Bharatnatyam performance."

Shami Narwani, a Seoul-based businessman said, "It is like getting back home. I have not celebrated Ganeshotsav for the past 16 years, but the Vedic cultural centre, which organised the function here, provided me a chance to experience this."