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| Ready for the parade! |
Hindus call it Ganesh Chathurti . . . a day set aside to honor the son of Shiva, Ganesh. This is the God with an elephant face, and to many represents the deity that can remove obstacles, and is a God of wisdom and education. In our little village of Pointe aux Piments, they have a lot of fun celebrating Lord Ganesh. Shelly and I joined our neighbors as they paraded around several Ganesh statues through the narrow village streets, stopping periodically to dance and drum and sing. Many spread a fuscia color on their faces and bodies, and follow the parade snaking through the village to the beach and the ocean. At the end of the parade, the pilgrims set up an impromptu altar on the beach with sacrifices of fruit and flowers and food, along with a small fire fueled with sticks and fats. When the chanting and dancing and singing has subsided, the younger men in the group take the small Ganesh statues and submerge them in the sea . . . so that Ganesh will work his magic for the next year removing obstacles and making the villagers wise. It was a colorful, prayerful, happy occasion to honor one of the several Hindu deities, and during a distressing week where the international news was all about the consequences of how Gods are depicted, it was a welcome relief to be happy and celebrating the God of Wisdom!
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| Lots of colors! |
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| Carrying the statues of Lord Ganesh |
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| Personal sacrifices encouraged |
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| Just down the beach from our house |
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| Prayers and songs before putting the Ganesh statues in the water |
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| Ganesh is beloved by many |
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| Walking Lord Ganesh to his watery resting place |
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