Of a welcome change ... !
■ Vijay Phanshikar :
THE Ganesh Tekadi now
has an elevated status. The
Government of
Maharashtra has granted
the place ‘A’ Category
elevation as a tourist
attraction. The little hillock
that has been hosting the
Ganesh Mandir for godknows-how-many years will
start attracting more
devotees -- and tourists.
The temple is now a
beautifully architectured
place of worship and
prayer, and the entire
complex assumes a shining
look complete with smart
attractive, smart lighting.
The sanctum sanctorum,
too, has been made to wear
a new look, complete with
chandelliers and bright
lighting.
By any standard, this is a
welcome change -- for the
Nagpurians and for the
countless lakhs of devotees
who converge on the place
every now and then -- from
all over the region.
The
Ganesh Mandir has often
occupied the highest place
in their devotional map.
The temple committee
took quite some time to
achieve the current
make-over of the Ganesh
Temple complex. It worked
hard to raise the money, to
make the architects and
designers carve out an
attractive temple that now
shines in splendour at any
moment of the day or the
night. The devotees have
been waiting for this
change to take place.
OF COURSE, there are
lakhs and lakhs of
people in whose
mind the old temple -- a tin
shade say 40-50 years
earlier -- still, occupies a
great place of honour.
In that place, for decades
on end, they sat on the
parapet wall lining the
temple floor and prayed
and sang bhajans and
listened to kirtan and went
back home with their eyes
drooping in devotion.
Around the old temple
was an open space big
enough to allow children
play games and devotees to
hold ‘langars’ (where
anybody could have
‘prasad’) and feel extremely
gratified. That open space
was dotted by big black
boulders that could equal
the size of even elephants.
Around those boulders --
and occasionally on top of
those -- children played
and people sat and talked
and enjoyed cool times,
especially in the evening.
Occasional sounds of the
military band from the
Sitabuldi Fort wafted
through the air and pleased
one and all.
As a child of 4-5-6-7-8-9
years of age, the loosefooter
spent a lot of time on the
Ganesh Tekadi indulging in
pranks -- and getting
spanked occasionally.
Of course, things were
beginning to change and
Ganesh Tekadi, too, did not
miss the wave of change.
Every change was certainly
not for the better -- or so
the loosefooter thought.
No matter that, the
devotion people felt for the
deity under the tin shade in
those good old days many,
many years ago did not
wane with change.
They
accepted the change and
got going with life as usual.
Now, the Ganesh Tekadi
has an elevated status, in
terms of tourism.
Even as the loosefooter
accepts this change with
grace, he has only one wish
to express: May the Ganesh
Temple’s original aura be
retained through the
changing times.
The place has a
devotional charm -- which
must not be lost at any cost.
For, the purpose of Ganesh
Tekadi is not tourism; it is
of the devotion of lakhs of
people. Tourism is a
secondary purpose,
so to say.
In the name of tourism,
the Ganesh Mandir must
not lose its inner glow in
favour of the outer glitter. ■