Ganesh Chaturthi: A Festival of New Beginnings - Vol 4

Festivals are a joyful and meaningful part of life at MarketPlace. They offer artisans a chance to come together—regardless of religion—to celebrate, share traditions, and deepen their connections with one another.

Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the most exciting festivals, marking the birth of Lord Ganesha—the elephant-headed god of wisdom, good luck, and new beginnings. For 10 days, people across India offer prayers, sweets, and flowers to Ganesh idols in their homes or neighborhoods. The celebration ends with music, dancing, and lively processions as the idols are carried to rivers or the sea and gently immersed in the water.

Since bringing a statue home can be costly, many artisans join in community celebrations with a shared Ganesh idol. In Mumbai, thousands gather on the beaches for the final immersion—creating a joyful scene that, unfortunately, also leaves behind a lot of waste.

But the artisans are doing their part to make the festival more sustainable. Many now create their own eco-friendly Ganesh statues and natural materials that are biodegradable, and they've taken it upon themselves to spread the word in their neighborhoods. In 2019, they even joined in a beach cleanup the very next day—celebrating not just tradition, but responsibility too.

The last day of the festival in Mumbai is joyful chaos—drums, dancing, and parades take over the streets, and traffic doesn't stand a chance. If I'm in town, I stock up on snacks and stay home!

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