Day 2 with the Directorate of Maharashtra Tourism’s International Ganesh Festival started on a festive note. We headed to the Ganpati pandals around Palghar, an unexplored district of Maharashtra with multiple hidden treasures. As we moved around the town, we saw lanes dotted with elaborately decorated Ganpati pandals. It was the fervour for me, little kids playing dhol tasha in one corner, women working on the final touch-ups, and many elderly taking over kitchens, preparing the traditional modaks for prasad.
No matter which home you enter during this time of the year, you are welcomed with open arms, served countless modaks, and treated with utmost respect. I was lucky enough to experience it firsthand on Day 2 of the Ganpati fest by Maharashtra Tourism.
Pandal Hopping In Palghar
It all commenced with stepping into a Chandrayaan-inspired Ganpati pandal, the entry gate had two big Chandrayaan spacecraft, and then a back-lit giant moon welcomed us and there it was, Ganpati bappa’s huge idol set at a starry backdrop. The vibe was like no other, a dim-lit pandal with a big lamp being our guiding light for darshan. As I walked around the area, I found a pandal set up across the road with a lot of people going to and fro.
I got it in and locals from a traditional Maharashtrian compound extended a warm welcome, offered a cup of tea, prasad from the morning aarti bhog, and made me a part of the bhajan ritual. After a quick chat on what makes Palghar’s Ganesh festivities stand out, I bid farewell to all and moved towards the next stop with tons of love and a box of prasad for home from a bunch of people whom I could now call family!
The Big Feast: Authentic Maharashtrian Thali
After Pandal hopping, it was time to fuel and for day 2, MTDC was kind enough to arrange a lavish buffet at Hotel Mangalam in Palghar with local Maharashtrian delicacies. For starters, I binged on the kotham beervadi, crisp gram flour on the outside, a soft and flavourful mixture of potato and fenugreek leaves on the inside.
The main course began with aloo wadi, a favourite among the locals, a snacky spiral roll prepared using aloo leaves with a centre bursting with flavours, bhakri, roti prepared using steamed rice flour, pineapple amti, a delectable combination of pineapple and spices, and pachranga dal, a popular lentil based curry. The bhakri and aloo wadi combo worked for me and believe me I didn’t stop at one or two. Locals call it a fine combo too, you might not really get it anywhere else in Maharashtra, so, all you foodies, consider adding Palghar to your checklist next. You won’t regret!
Learning Worli Art From Scratch
Next up was an experience I am not getting over anytime soon. We were invited to a local’s home to learn tribal art from someone who has been doing it for over two decades now. Thick art sheets with a pre-coloured maroon background were distributed along with fine brushes to learn the initial strokes of Worli art. The trainer gave us an insight into the ideas that go behind each painting. No Worli art is a meaningless piece, there is a story that you might not get at once and it is only the artist behind it who can take you through the tale.
After a fun, learning session and our Worli art miniatures in our hands, we headed back. Lots of new learnings, fun, and food, that was Day 2 for me at the International Ganesh Festival 2023. For more updates and interesting stories from day 2, stay tuned, and don’t forget to tune into our social media handles.
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