Ganpati bappa morya. Just a little bit of this and that as I sit in silence after Ganesh Chaturthi. The house is fragrant with agarbati, mogra and a little something called ugdaas.
This brass aarti paler is from Tulsi Baug, Pune. The idol is from Princess Street carved by a little boy we knew who grew up to be a gifted artist. And the fruit from distant places that made their way to Markham. The jasmine flowers are from Scarborough via who knows where. There's a website, I am told. The agarbatis from Ramji Vani in Naigaum bought in December 2010, my last visit there. And the holder is from Panaji, Goa bought from a gift shop near Fidalgo Hotel. Everything is a story.
Pujas and dosa evenings have something in common in my home: they both set off the fire alarm. Today, the camphor set off the hallway alarm and Rani dashed off to spend the rest of the Aarti upstairs in her bed in a huff.
Working alone listening to music of the day, I made shira, daali toi, rice, cabbage upkari and cucumber kocholi with rai chi phodni. Simple fare, special though.
I realised that I cannot have my Ganpati lunch without the aroma of cucumber kocholi with the crunch of mustard seeds. Go figure!
Record time lunch prep in an hour. Made cabbage bhaji as I had no time to chop phansi for gomti upkari.
No dabbya khana, I don't have time to make and no one eats more than a bite. I can't make patrado and don't like the store bought patra as its not amchi.
Whatever was missing today was felt deeply the heart.
All else was here, right where I am.
Making new memories is what life is all about nhavein? Else how can we move forward?
Happy Gonesh everyone.
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