Big orchestras, noise pollution on decline

Mysuru, Sept.4 (RK&NNN)- The installation of Gowri and Ganapathi idols during Ganesha festival in parks, public places and temples is seeing a downward trend year after year.

The strict enforcement of rules by the Police Department, the drive against manufactures of PoP (Plaster of Paris) Ganesha idols by the Pollution Control Board, the costly clay Ganeshas, are some of the reasons for the enthusiasm to celebrate Ganesha going down, it is said.

The youth brigade was always in the forefront to celebrate Ganesha by putting  up Chapparas (pergolas made out of coconut fronds), electric lightings and installing big size to medium size to little Ganeshas. This always resulted in a spin off for other trades like chappara makers, sound system hirers, orchestra groups, drama troupes, light music, folk song singers and dance troupes who were all being benefited.

Every day pujas were being performed in the mornings and evenings, prasadas were being distributed, the immersion procession was another event to look forward to and they were all celebrated with great fervour and gaiety.

The Ganesha festival would be celebrated across the city from seven days to 15 days and everybody was involved in paying obeisance to the God of remover of obstacles-Vijna Vinayaka.

Even in the rural areas, the Ganesha festival is celebrated with piety and a sense of joy. However, times have changed and the youth are no more enamoured of the tradition and hence they are slowly moving away from it as they have enough distractions available.

In most of the places, the immersion is being done on the same day the idol is installed and a few others are doing it just after three days. In Mysuru city this year there were just 431 people who got permission to install the Ganesha idols. Last year it was 443 who were granted licenses. Even, the applications for permissions are coming down, said Law and Order DCP M. Muthuraj to Star of Mysore.

As many people are immersing the idol on the first day itself and few others on third and ninth day, the hullaballoo or the excitement is not there like it used to be earlier. Even the children going from door-to-door asking Ganapathi ittidira, is missing which was very common for the kids of the last century to do.

The flip side is that there is peace and quiet unlike in the past when the loudspeakers would be blaring all kinds of songs from the pandals where Ganesha was installed that would affect the ear drums of the children and the elderly at home. Even the Police are breathing easy, said DCP Muthuraj.

On Sept. 8 there is public immersion of idols. There is tight Police bandobust on that day in all Police Station limits, he said and added that since after 10 pm, the loudspeakers have been banned and many are scared to violate this rule, there are not much complaints.