VINAYAKA CHATURTHI CELEBRATIONS 2018 : SOME HIGHLIGHTS

This year’s Vinayaka Chaturthi generated a curious desire in me.  I wanted to know in detail how the festival is celebrated outside Tamil Nadu.  Digital technology came to my help.  I surfed websites, watched television channels, closely went through social media posts and browsed e-newspapers.  The result was amazing.  I could collect some astounding facts and figures.  It is my pleasure to share some of them here.  

THE GRANDEUR OF GANESHA

(By Subbaram Danda)

Vinayaka Chaturthi is one great Hindu festival that lends itself to celebration in a variety of ways.  While in temples special worship is conducted, at homes people bring freshly-made mud images of the deity and offer prayers.  An outstanding feature is the setting up of temporary road-side pandals (sheds) at vantage points in various cities, towns and villages and installing in them huge idols of Vinayaka in mind-boggling styles. 

The centre of all activity in India is undoubtedly Mumbai, where the festivity goes on for as many as ten days. In that metropolitan city the cynosure of all eyes is a huge Vinayaka idol affectionately called Lalbaugcha Raja in a lane of Lalbaug market in Central Mumbai.   It has been very popular for the past 85 years. 

This year the Lalbaugcha Raja’s idol is 15 feet tall installed in a pandal beautifully done up with 3D technology.  Graphics embellish the stage colourfully with a backdrop of cascading waterfalls, hovering birds and blooming flowers.

Lalbaugcha Raja

The divine Raja draws an incredibly large number of people, including Bollywood celebrities and politicians -- around 15 lakhs every day for ten days!  How such a vast sea of moving people is controlled is anybody’s guess.  Devotees keep going in two lines.  In the first they can go near the feet of the idol and get a close-up view of the deity. The second queue does not permit going close to the stage.  In the first line, it is said people stand sometimes for as long as 30 hours and in the second for up to eight hours, according to Wikipedia.

Why is this Ganesha so famous?  Devotees strongly believe that praying to this deity, in particular touching his feet, will enable them to get their wishes granted.  Television channels stream the festivities live.  After the celebrations, the idol is immersed in the sea. 

Every year the idol is made according to a legendary design by members of a particular family called Kamblis, who were originally sculptors.  The design is patent-protected.  

The organizers of this grand show are the Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal.  They have taken a comprehensive insurance policy.

Another major attraction is a large idol known widely as Mumbai’s Gold Ganesha.  It is adorned with ornaments of the yellow metal weighing more than 70 kg of pure gold, besides diamond-studded jewellery and silver articles.  Seated on a golden throne the idol shines in an ornate pandal in King’s circle. 

Just before immersion of the idol in the sea at the end of the festivities, the jewels are taken out and kept in safe custody till next year. The organizers are GSB Seva Mandal.  They have also taken a comprehensive insurance policy.

Golden Ganesha

There is yet another place in Mumbai where people throng.  It is to have darshan of Ganesh Gallicha Raja.  This year the deity is represented as riding a charging horse. The statue in vivid colours stands out as a vibrant work of art.  Interestingly, Ganesh Galli is just a few lanes away from the Lalbaug idol.

Ganesh Gallicha Raja

In Maharashtra, including Mumbai, there are several thousands of other idols.  Each conveys a legend or a message. This year protection of the environment is the overwhelming theme.

After Maharashtra, south India takes pride of place in celebrating Vinayaka Chaturthi.  In Telangana, the Khairatabad Ganesha in Hyderabad is famous.  This time it is Saptamukha Kalasarpa Maha Ganapati standing 57-feet tall, nearly as high as a six-storey building.  In the foreground are mini statues of Lakshmi and Saraswati.

A highlight of the festivities at Khairatabad is a 580-kg laddu prepared by a sweet stall as an offering to the deity.  Finally, it will be distributed to devotees.

Khairatabad Ganesha

Throughout India and overseas deity Vinayaka is worshipped in ways that can only be described as incredible.  Human ingenuity reaches its pinnacle in designing and creating gigantic idols for Ganesh Chaturthi.  They number a few lakhs.  Only very famous ones have been presented in this feature.   

  

September 17, 2018

Film IMAIKKAA NODIGAL : My Review

A THRILLER WITH A RUNNING SUSPENSE

(By Subbaram Danda)

Nayantara as Anjali

“I love killing. I just love killing. I am a psycho”– these words of bravado of serial killer Rudra, as he proceeds from one ruthless murder to another, reverberate right through the film “Imaikkaa Nodigal” (unblinked moments), one of the latest Tamil releases.  He challenges CBI officer Anjali investigating the cold-blooded slayings, “Stop me, if you can. Good luck.” Anjali retorts with a cool refrain, “He thinks he is smart, but he is not.  He will be caught soon.”

The thriller, set in Bengaluru, revolves around a new modus operandi of kidnap and murder.  The killer’s signature style is to abduct a high profile person, demand Rs.2 crores, receive the ransom and still kill the victim.  And this goes on without any change in the method of operation and let-up.    

Anurag Kashyap as Killer Rudra

Intertwined with the main story is a love affair between Arjun, brother of Anjali, and a ravishingly beautiful girl Krithika.  Rudra’s evil designs entangle them too.

The role of Rudra is played brilliantly by Anurag Kashyap of Bollywood fame and Anjali is portrayed by serious-looking Nayantara.  Rashi Khanna as Krithika and Atharvaa as Arjun add mascara and masala to the film.  Vijay Sethupathi’s short role as husband of Anjali is ornamental.  Anurag easily outshines Nayantara in performance.

It is a film, which makes good use of the modern technology with computers, smartphones and cyber linkages.  The police and the villain vie with each other in employing the technology to play their own game.

Rashi Khanna as Krithika

Director Ajay Gnanamuthu has done a good job in making the audience watch the film from the edge of their seats.  The flick is fast paced.  There are, however, some patches where it drags.  The film runs for nearly three hours, which is too much considering contemporary standards.  Numerous flashbacks, twists and turns tend to confuse the people and make them lose track of the main story. Comic scenes are noteworthy by their absence.  The cinematographer R. D. Rajasekhar has chosen excellent lighting settings and angles to capture the true action of the actors. Music is by HipHopTamizha. 

There is a little girl, daughter of Anjali, who puts up a scintillating performance in her limited but remarkable role.

The real suspense of the film lies in the question, “Who is Rudra?”  There was a serial killer by that name, who was finished off by the Police some years ago, according to their records.   Is somebody currently masquerading as him?  The needle of suspicion turns to Arjun too.  And Anjali as well !!!

(Ends)

September 04, 2018