Ganesh Chaturthi & Unbecoming: Letting Go of the Obstacles We Create
Shweta- Creator of Sajuk Soul
9/12/20263 min read
Namaskar Mandali,
Welcome back to Sajuk Samvaad.
If you are from Maharashtra—or have ever been there at this time of year—you know this festival's feeling deep in your chest. It is intensely personal and easily the most loved time of the year. If you aren't familiar with Ganesh Chaturthi, let me take you on a journey and try to make a small effort to show you what it truly means.
When your favorite person is arriving at your house, you plan everything down to the smallest detail. You think about their comfort, their likes, and their dislikes. You work tirelessly just to make them feel cherished, because seeing them happy brings a quiet, unmatched satisfaction. That is exactly how we treat our Bappa (Ganpati Bappa). He doesn't arrive as a distant deity; he enters our home as our most honored, deeply loved family member.
A popular story about his birth begins with Goddess Parvati, who was lonely and longing for affection. She created a son from clay, turmeric, and ghee, breathing life into him while her partner, Shiva, was meditating on Mount Kailash. One day, while Parvati went to bathe, she asked her son to stand guard. When Shiva returned, he was stopped at the entrance by the young boy he had never met. Angered, Shiva severed the boy's head. Upon realizing the immense grief he caused Parvati, Shiva vowed to make it right. He sent his followers to bring back the head of the first living creature they found—an elephant. Shiva placed the elephant’s head onto the boy, naming him Ganesh, the god of all beings, and decreed that he would always be worshipped first in every ritual as the supreme remover of obstacles (Vighnaharta).
In Maharashtrian homes, a beautiful tradition accompanies his arrival: crafting elaborate scenic sets and decorations around the idol. Every family decorates his altar according to their own vision and spirit.
For as long as I can remember, I have personally crafted these decoration sets for my home every single year, no matter where life has taken me. It quickly became more than just my own living room; our neighbors happily relied on me to design and build the sets for their homes, too. Hand-crafting those miniature worlds was an act of unconditional love toward that cosmic energy. It is a moment of pride in our culture and a quiet way of bowing down to nature so that ego could never take root.
As life moves forward and we grow up, these nostalgic childhood memories redefine themselves. What once felt like a simple holiday fun now carries a much deeper weight. Those late nights spent designing sets were early lessons in real collaboration, community, and unconditional warmth for everyone around us. We often fall into the human trap of building invisible walls around ourselves—getting wrapped up in busy schedules, personal ego, or small misunderstandings. But this festival gently forces us to dismantle those walls, bringing people together through shared effort and joy.
We know Bappa as the Vighnaharta—the one who clears our paths. But as I’ve grown older, made my own share of mistakes, and stumbled over my own flaws, I’ve realized an uncomfortable truth about human nature.
Most of the biggest obstacles in our lives aren't put there by fate. We build them ourselves.
We overcomplicate simple choices out of fear. We hold onto perfectionism until it paralyzes our creativity. We cling to old pride, stubborn habits, and the illusion that we must control everything. We spend so much energy asking for obstacles to be cleared from our path, rarely stopping to admit that our own ego is often the very thing blocking the road.
When Bappa stays with us for those ten days, the house is electric. But the most profound lesson arrives at the very end—Visarjan.
After days of pouring our heart into his comfort and crafting intricate sets for him, we walk him to the water and let him go. We submerge the form we cherished, knowing that his physical presence is temporary, but his essence remains.
Visarjan is the ultimate act of "unbecoming." It is an annual reminder that to welcome growth, we must be willing to dissolve what we hold onto too tightly.
Welcoming Bappa into our life this year means asking for a different kind of blessing. Not just to clear the road ahead, but to help us step out of our own way. To help us unlearn rigid habits, dissolve unnecessary mental noise, and let go of the self-made hurdles we carry around.
Because sometimes, the greatest obstacle Bappa removes is the version of ourselves we need to leave behind.
Until our next conversation,
Shweta
Creator of Sajuk Soul
CFO PT#0507447