The Ganpati festival was on. All the pandals visited by Shantanu, Vir and Tinku were fabulous!
"What colour! Lights! Music!" the boys chanted appreciatively.
They had worked together to produce a pandal too. Their Ganpati was made of papier mache, painted with natural dyes. Ganpati's lungi was simple cotton. They had dyed it with turmeric! His maroon turban Shantanu had dyed in simple beetroot juice! Only ecofriendly materials had been used to make their decorations......
"What colour! Lights! Music!" the boys chanted appreciatively.
They had worked together to produce a pandal too. Their Ganpati was made of papier mache, painted with natural dyes. Ganpati's lungi was simple cotton. They had dyed it with turmeric! His maroon turban Shantanu had dyed in simple beetroot juice! Only ecofriendly materials had been used to make their decorations......
and tonight the VIPs were going to choose the 1st Prize winner.
Of course, the boys hoped it would be theirs!
The biggest pandal was at the Main Bazaar corner. Decorated in bright colours, mythological characters surrounded the LARGEST Ganpati they had ever seen!
A semi-circular pandal stood at the car park. This one was in all shades of yellow. Very artistic and original.
A third one was in front of the town hall.
"Oof!" Vir said. "I think that one will get the prize!"
The boys noted that all the Ganpati idols had been made of plaster of paris, and painted in acrylic. Their crowns, belts, and jewellery were made of plastic, painted gold.
Shantanu shook his untidy head sadly. "I dont think our pandal will win," he said. "Its too simple.....!"
The time just flew by, and suddenly it was 4 pm, and the first VIPs arrived.
The boys had scrubbed themselves clean till they shone like the statues!
"Arey wah!" grinned Tinku's Dad. "Wish you had a bath like that everyday!"
The Chief Guest was a quiet , soft spoken man who was Minister for Environment. He had a lo-o-ong white beard, sharp twinkling eyes, and wore a kurta pyjama. No gold rings, the boys noted!
And they liked his friendly smile.
Tension, tension......everyone was tense. But not "Mr. Environment!"
He began by telling his listeners that the club groups had all taken so much trouble to make their pandals so beautiful. He told them he was impressed with the bonding it had achieved for the people, especially amongst the kids and different communities. He praised the lights, colour and music.
Then he stood silent and looked long and sharp at everyone waiting with bated breath for his announcement of the 1st Prize.
He turned to each pandal committee in turn, and asked what plans they had for immersion.
Unanimously, they replied: "In the river!"
One small group of voices - Shantanu's club group - was quiet.
"We have a large water tank!" they said suddenly in unison. "We will put Ganpati in that. Colours are harmful in the rivers, other people will be poisoned with these things, too"
"Even fish will die," added Vir, solemnly.
The crowd began to laugh.
But Mr. Environment looked down at the three boys and did not laugh at all. He called them to the dias, and patted them gently on their heads.
"The spirit of Ganpati is truly in these kids," he told his audience. "We can ask for Ganpati's protection and blessings only if we take care of Him and Nature too."
He took a deep breath. "So," he said in an important sounding tone, "First Prize goes to............this one here!" and he pointed at the boys pandal.
Shantanu's gang screeched with delight!
I think I heard Ganpati chuckling too!
Right now the boys are distributing pedhas.....
What an achievement!
The biggest pandal was at the Main Bazaar corner. Decorated in bright colours, mythological characters surrounded the LARGEST Ganpati they had ever seen!
A semi-circular pandal stood at the car park. This one was in all shades of yellow. Very artistic and original.
A third one was in front of the town hall.
"Oof!" Vir said. "I think that one will get the prize!"
The boys noted that all the Ganpati idols had been made of plaster of paris, and painted in acrylic. Their crowns, belts, and jewellery were made of plastic, painted gold.
Shantanu shook his untidy head sadly. "I dont think our pandal will win," he said. "Its too simple.....!"
The time just flew by, and suddenly it was 4 pm, and the first VIPs arrived.
The boys had scrubbed themselves clean till they shone like the statues!
"Arey wah!" grinned Tinku's Dad. "Wish you had a bath like that everyday!"
The Chief Guest was a quiet , soft spoken man who was Minister for Environment. He had a lo-o-ong white beard, sharp twinkling eyes, and wore a kurta pyjama. No gold rings, the boys noted!
And they liked his friendly smile.
Tension, tension......everyone was tense. But not "Mr. Environment!"
He began by telling his listeners that the club groups had all taken so much trouble to make their pandals so beautiful. He told them he was impressed with the bonding it had achieved for the people, especially amongst the kids and different communities. He praised the lights, colour and music.
Then he stood silent and looked long and sharp at everyone waiting with bated breath for his announcement of the 1st Prize.
He turned to each pandal committee in turn, and asked what plans they had for immersion.
Unanimously, they replied: "In the river!"
One small group of voices - Shantanu's club group - was quiet.
"We have a large water tank!" they said suddenly in unison. "We will put Ganpati in that. Colours are harmful in the rivers, other people will be poisoned with these things, too"
"Even fish will die," added Vir, solemnly.
The crowd began to laugh.
But Mr. Environment looked down at the three boys and did not laugh at all. He called them to the dias, and patted them gently on their heads.
"The spirit of Ganpati is truly in these kids," he told his audience. "We can ask for Ganpati's protection and blessings only if we take care of Him and Nature too."
He took a deep breath. "So," he said in an important sounding tone, "First Prize goes to............this one here!" and he pointed at the boys pandal.
Shantanu's gang screeched with delight!
I think I heard Ganpati chuckling too!
Right now the boys are distributing pedhas.....
What an achievement!
* Illustration by Aranya Pathak Broome, 8 yrs.
4 comments:
super!!!1fantastic..i love it...it really touched me brought a lump in my throat....
i have been thinking this for very long and been meaning to tell the adults too...u think there is some way we can communicate tht?
but amazing...way to go leela!!!!!!
HI mrs.b!
I read that story...i was dumbfounded...really..
Moreover , it's so apt since this festival is just round the corner...trust me , it will have a great effect on people once its published!THAT'S REALLY GREAT!!!Mridula.
That's really good! Is it going to be published?
Lovely story.
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