Ganesha Painting, Watercolor on Paper

When we remember which festival Mumbai is famous for, it’s one of  the biggest Ganesh festivals ever in the heart of Mumbai held every year. Ganesh Visarjan is the last day of Ganesh festival which is quintessentially what Mumbai is all about! On this day Mumbai streets gets fully crowded with people, folk, dance, music and colors. As the sun set by the bay of Arabian sea more and more Ganesh idols are drawn for immersion. In the fading evening light all you can see is the sea full of people and huge idols of Ganesha heading towards the sea.

I’m in Mumbai more than 10 years now. In these passing years I feel the every essence of this beautiful festival. So I was intended to paint the festival but in such a way that captures all the glimpse and vibes together. Girgaum Chowpatty on Marine Drive in South Mumbai has always become one of the prominent immersion points. I love how the visarjan starts one by one and by the end of the day it becomes huge. The enthusiastic people say goodbye with all their energy and the noise becomes quite loud with the beating drums.

So, I feel why not to portray the journey of Ganesh idol on the beach towards sea. Ganesh idols come in all shape and size, as night draws to a close the beach is filled with huge idols of Ganesha everywhere. Mumbai is known to be the city of skyscrapers and the size of Ganesha idols would definitely match them. The crowd fill the air by chanting “Ganapati Bappa Morya!” The Mumbaikars make this festival a feast to the eyes.

Mumbai Ganesh Festival II | Watercolor on Paper | 30” x 45” inches | 2018

These all phenomena I feel behind my ganesha painting. Here in a frame you can see those enthusiastic people playing with lot of colors, filling the air. Huge idols of Ganesha dazzling in the passing evening light while Mumbaikars are bidding goodbye with loud chanting and drums bit to their Lord. Colors are in the atmosphere. The last day of the festival witnessed an emotional farewell to Lord Ganesha by people.