Festivals and Nostalgia

True or false, Good or bad, fortunate or otherwise, while staying abroad I have always had a feeling that something is amiss. The feeling aggravates the most during the festive season back home. You dearly dearly miss it. Missing colors of Holi downs you. Ganapati comes and goes but hardly hear or sing/hum on the chorus of aarti/bhajans. Navaratri makes you nostalgic looking for the elusive Dandya-Rass. Diwali is probably the worst amongst all suggesting that probably, just probably, you are loosing a tad more than your gains.

This is not only about food as you can cook anything and everything here but probably it's about that vibrancy, that radiance which makes you most nervous, most nostalgic and most craving for the aroma of the land (read Mitti ki Khushboo). On a typical festival day, you end up cooking a delicious meal, catch up with friends and have a nice banter. Indian diaspora is also quite active the world over celebrating the key festivals. Be it Ganesh Chaturthy in Antwerp or Durga Puja in Brussels or Holi and Diwali by ISAL Leuven, they do their bit to bring the community together and attempt to rejoice a bit on the firangi land. But, for me it hardly appeases the solace of the thought that I could have been to the Ganapati Mandir (photo below) early morning for the darshan on a Ganapati day and for most of ten days would have ended up attending the music concerts and other recreational programs. The stroll on the crowded Phadke road early in the Diwali morning is no way near to any walk on the planet. Moreover, missing company of your family members is obviously irreplaceable and you certainly miss them a lot.

Ganesh Puja in Antwerp. Quorum must have been around 1000 and the slogans of "Ganapati Bappa Morya!!!" filled the air. Photo Courtesy: Ajay

Durga Puja @ Brussels. Photo Courtesy: Sagnik babu. I personally was engrossed in an India-Pak Cricket match and decided not to go. If Dandya would have been there...

Ganash Mandir Sansthan, Dombivli. The place I miss the most every Ganapati. Phadke Road next to it is what I miss every Diwali :-(

Unfortunately, this is the 4th Diwali I am missing (3 abroad and one during the first year @ IIT-M) so far and this one being special it hurts the most. This is the first after Rucha's (my sister's) marriage last year and the home should be abuzz with all the relatives and friends enjoying festivities. They say they are going to miss me. But in reality I am going to miss them the most. The truth is with flesh and blood I am in Leuven, but with heart and sole I am in India, with them @ home...