LOTUS....FROM ADVERSITY TO JOY

 Ganapathi Bappa morya,phudcha varshi lovekariya.......as the marathi song goes.After a tedious,yet satisfying preparations for the Ganesh Utsav, He arrives royally to bless us all.There is enthusiasm in the air,the ringing of pooja bells,the radiance of aartis,the fragrance of various flowers,the whiff of incense sticks,the aroma of various sweets and savouries,the excitement of exchanging visits,gifts,love.But alas,every thing nice has to end.Then comes the time when we have to bid adieu to our Ganapathi Bappa,which is, in other words called visarjan.We are not very happy letting Him go but we have to let Him go,so that,He can return the following year.

In reality,The Lord never arrives or leaves.He has existed before time and will exist beyond.Ganeshutsav symbolises our life.....

We arrive,we celebrate and we merge into the element.

To celebrate, we have to understand all that Lord Ganesha symbolises.He symbolises all the good things we have to adopt to live a fruitful life.

His large ears says 'LISTEN MORE'

He listens to everyone but every devotee is given what he  needs and not all that he  asks for.

His Big head says 'THINK BIG'

Symbolises wisdom,knowledge,intelligence,clear thinking.It also  indicates fidelity and discriminating power.

His small eyes says,'IMPORTANCE OF CONCENTRATION,ATTENTION.'

His small mouth says,'TALK LESS'.....the important or the key feature is listen more,talk less.

His large trunk depicts,'HIGH EFFICIENCY AND ADAPTABILITY'.

In order to achieve success be flexible and adaptable.Path to succeed is not easy.

His one tusk says,RETAIN POSITIVITY AND THROW AWAY NEGATIVITY.

The single tusk indicates Lord Ganesha's ability to overcome all forms of dualism.

His large stomach says,'PEACEFULLY DIGEST ALL GOOD AND BAD IN LIFE.'

It says digest all that life has to offer----good,bad,ugly,evil,pain,suffering,happiness.Lord Ganesha's large stomach is a treasure of vedic knowledge.

The mouse or Ganapathi vahana symbolises desire.Ganapathi sitting on the mouse indicates that mastery over excess desire is essential.

Modak in one hand Symbolises rewards of Sadhana.

Axe in another hand is to cut all bonds of attachments.

Lotus or Kamal in the third hand symbolises enlightenment,that which can cut off bonds of attachment with the material life.

The fourth hand is in aashirwad mudra,which means that an ideal person will always wish for the well being of one and all.

His legs...one foot on the ground and the other resting on his knee symbolises the fact that an enlightened person lives on this earth without any attachment to material life.

When we understand the true meaning of all the symbols and practice  them,we can lead a more peaceful and a happy life.

A common man has to go through all the trials and tribulations.Only then will he understand the true meaning of coming into this world.That is evolution of a man.Evolution is beautiful.So dont get disheartened by all the bad things you have to face in life.There is a reason for everything that a man goes through.Its a process of purification.Concentrate on achieving your ultimate goal,says Ganesha.

From the mud of adversity grows the lotus of joy....as the quote goes.

Let us learn from what each festival signifies.Wishing everyone a beautiful, fruitful life's journey.