Ganpati, Modaks & the Freedom to Make Things

Ganpati bappa is finally here and growning up as a Jain, we never really celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi.. Although I've had the pleasure of attending a lot of pandals growing up and visiting friends, I missed out on the preps, the joy of actually bringing Ganpati home.

Now, living in a family that celebrates the festival I've realised that -

Ganpati might be one of the most wonderfully designed festivals we have.

I've spent a few years observing, understanding and secretly noticing the sheer design liberty it brings..

Look at Ganesha. There isn't one correct way he has to look.

He can be tiny or enormous.

Minimal or wildly decorated.

Made of clay, paper, flowers...he can be sitting, standing, dancing, eating a modak, riding a mouse or surrounded by an entire miniature universe.

And somehow, we all know exactly who he is.

As a designer, I find that really fascinating.

Indian Gods have always had such a uniform way of representation, probably because it's the illustrated photographs and idols we worship, there are photocopied & replicated. No one knows how one god looks yet, he looks the same.

And then there is Ganesha, who has been interpreted in a million different ways and somehow remains unmistakably Ganesha.

Maybe that's what makes the festival so joyful.

There is room to make.

Every year, I find myself noticing the little things more than the big spectacle.

The handmade decorations outside someone's house.

The aunties arranging flowers.

The slightly over-the-top society entrance.

The neighbourhood pandal that has clearly had someone working on it for three weeks.

The colour combinations that I would never put on a moodboard but somehow work perfectly.

My feed is so full of people making their own decorated set-up.

The sound of people gathering downstairs.

The prasad being passed around in little hands.

And obviously, the modaks.

There is something very sweet about a festival where the central figure is literally celebrated with food.

Ganesha eats. Ganesha laughs. Ganesha is happy.

And that happiness feels wonderfully uncomplicated.

I also love how the festival belongs to everyone in such a natural, everyday way.

You don't really need to know the perfect ritual or understand every tradition to participate in the joy of it.

You can visit someone's home, have prasad, admire the idol, dance terribly and go home.

Maybe that's why I think of Ganpati as a little lesson in design too.

The shape can change.

The material can change.

The colour can change.

The scale can change.

The interpretation can change.

But the feeling stays.

And perhaps that is the real design magic of Ganpati.

It gives people permission to make something of their own and still feel like they belong to something much bigger.

On that note,

A very Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to everyone celebrating.

May this year fill you with great joy & love.