Sunday, August 23, 2020

Ganesha

 As a young child, I had a close connect with Ganesha. The first introduction to him was through my mridangam master, and my grandmother - both devoted followers of the deity.


I was told Ganesha plays mridangam and I always liked to worship him before I started playing it. It was a routine and when done as a routine by a young 10 year old, it becomes a habit and then infatuation. My connection continued for a very long time before I started questioning it one day.


I questioned which father would cut his son's head off. And for what reason? Ganesha's mother asked him to stay put and keep watch. He did exactly that. 


This is child abuse at many levels. First, imagine the plight of the poor kid with an elephant's head. He would be the butt of all jokes all his life. Second, What was the fault of the poor elephant that it had to lose its life for the rage of someone who was in a hurry? One of the 3 main gods makes a blunder and the solution leads to life long suffering for a child, an elephant and its family, none of who were at fault in any way.


Even if it is only a myth, or a story, the message it sends is dangerous. Whichever angle one views it from, I can only see a chauvinistic man who couldnt bear the thought of a child stopping him and had no qualms in cutting his head off on that pretext.


From a hard core Ganesha fan,

Happy Ganesh Chathurthi.