August 28 1987
Chronicled Hours: 5.30 PM to 9.30 PM 16 Hours Chronicled Details: Reviving Vedic Life Style - Contribution of Vedic Enlightened Ecosystem towards World Peace by bringing Non-Violent Mental Set up in Kids and Youngsters by the Overflowing devotion, Organized Hindu Way of Living and Sharing, Integrated inspired Hindu Economic Policy
Celebration of Ganesha Chaturthi at age of 9 in year 1986 - 1987 (Whole Chronicle is prepared based on the reminiscence shared by Swamiji's Poorvashram Brother Senthil) Activity with Details Planning 1 month ahead Preparation for the event will start One month ahead.The marking of holidays will start as soon as the yearly calendar is received.All the holidays will be marked, but the Planning for Ganesh Chaturthi will be the most sweetest and grandest event involving everyone.
Formation of Core Teams:
The Responsibilities are delegated to 4 teams. One is Abisegam and Alankaram team ( Temple Rituals), Second is involved in getting Naivedyam (Anna Mandir), Third is Production Team ( Involved in making of Ganesha), Fourth is Fundraising team ( Involved in Raising the funds)
Regular Meeting of Members:
Countdown will start like Three days more, Two days more and eagerly actively engaged members will have their meeting in Swamiji's house terrace.
Collection of Vastram for Ganesha:
White Colour Vastram will be offered to Ganesha. For that will start enriching and following up Alex, a tailor who had a stitching unit in their building. They all had mutual understanding that whenever any new White cloth comes for Stitching, the bit clothes which remains after stiching should be given for Ganesha decoration. If the customer comes to tailor for taking measurement before purchasing the cloth, the tailor will add additional 5 to 10 points to actual requirement, so that he can give to the kids for their Ganesha decoration. Like this, they will get the new Vastram for 3 Ganesha -First Ganesha Made from Clay by themselves, Second Ganesha bought by father, Third Ganesha under Banyan Tree near Kirthika Mandapam.
When are in need of more cloth for their alankaram, they will make small hole in father vesti point to him about that and request him if they can take for other uses. Father will immediately agree and will give without asking.
Collection of Clay for Making of Ganesha - Happening at different stages prior to Ganesha Chaturthi:
The teams members will divide themselves as individual members, will go to each person selling clay in their street and in whole Thiruvannamalai asking for just ONE HANDFUL of CLAY. They will tell the shop person, explain them their purpose for asking the Clay. They would explain to them that they are asking for making new Ganesha. They would collect that clay in a bag and will bring the same to terrace of Swamiji's house. That is the Store house. Like this, every member will collect and the Clay necessary for making Ganesha would be achieved.
Second round again, they will go to market ask for clay. They will ask saying this time I am asking for making Umbrella for Ganesha. And they will get handfull Clay, collect them and bring to Store house.
The elder members of team will go to street, see where the unloading of Clay is happening from Lorry. There is a particular street dedicated for making Ganesha. Lorries will come with Clay, offload in road. The elder members will approach them asking if they can support them in their offloading. They will be verily happy doing the offloading of clay. At the end, they will request clay for their making of Ganesha as token of appreciation. Inspired by the young boys desire, the vendors supported them by proving good amount of clay.
Collection of Materials required for Making Naivedyam at different Stages:
The Collection of raw materials required for making of naivedyam will start from home. They will actually take spoon quantity frequently - Rice, Sugar etc from kitchen and store in their home kitchen separately. They plan in such a way that the reduce in quantity is not vividly noticeable.
They will also take Jaggery from the Grand Fathers mandy. They will plan in such a way that bits and Pieces only will be collected. In Mandy, Count Matters. So, for that they will not take entire Jaggery. They will take hammer, break that into Pieces and take only little bit every day and put back the remaining. Like this, day by day jaggery will be collected.All these collected raw materials from all members ( From their family) will be collected at one point of time for making the collective Cooking (' Kootanchoru' in Tamil) Collection Alankaram and Abhishekam Materials Main requirement is Sandal Powder ( For Sandal paste Alankaram), Gandham Powder, Turmeric, Viboothi, Kumkum and Golden Shining Paper.
Turmeric, Kumkum, Viboothi - These materials will be collected from home itself. It will be done in 2 ways. One is openly asking for the Purpose, second is hiding the material from home and requesting father to purchase fresh because the stock got over in home. Father will get for them. Then they will take from that also, leave only little quantity behind mixing with surplus water to show as if the quantity actually exists.
The Collection of Shining Golden paper
This will start much ahead. Any gift boxes, wrappers they could see in home, they will cut them separately, collect and preserve for Alankaram. The further requirements will be got by the team members as fund raising. Each one will go to one shop, explain to them about their requirement for shining paper. The Shop person will give one sheet. All the team members will collect, centralise the material in their store room.
For Abisegam, they will make mother to break the coconut meant for home use, fill that water in water can, take that for abisegam.
Getting Sandalwood Powder is the highest cost consuming in their budget. One Packet containing 5 Villa Sandalwood tablet is 2 Rs. The sandalwood powder is to be collected by all team members. Each one will be going to One shop. They will take only 1 rupee.They will ask if the other One rupee can be collected from their father. If the shop vendor says ok, then they will pay one rupee and get one packet. For One rupee, they will get 5 Villa of sandal wood tablet. They will ask for extra. The Shop person will give one tablet as extra piece. So, they will get 5 + 1 in their hand for One rupee. Secondly they will ask if they can get second packet also, they can collect from father. If they agree, they will get the second packet also. Thirdly, they will ask the shop owner to donate for Sandalwood. They will support as the boys are very sincere in getting for their decoration. Like this, brothers will got to different different shops individually - collect sandalwood paste required for their decoration. Same shop will not be visited by other person. They will not leave one shop in street. Collection of Funds
Reserve Bank: The Collection of funds start from taking 10 Paise from their Hundy money. The Brothers had the habit of collection and saving coins in their hundi. This hundi is their Reserve Bank. The amount collected is spent only for Spiritual Work.
1. Fund raising from Family Members
The 10 Paisa is the first amount. This amount will be taken by first person. He would go to mother and ask her to give 25 Paise by taking this 10 Paise. Mother will give 25 Paise. This 25 Paise will be made into 10 paise and 15 Pasie. The Second brother will go to mother asking for 25 Paise by taking this 10 Paise. All three of them will go will same 10 Paise asking for 25 Paise from Mother. At end, they will have 1 rupee and 10 paise.
Secondly they will go to father taking 60 Paise asking for 1 rupee. Father will take 60 paisa and will return back 1 rupee. Like this all 3 brothers will go to father individually and collect money for their celebration.
Thirdly they will collect from family members also.
2. Fund raising by Smart work:
There is high demand for Erukkam Flower and Eye seed ( features are Red coloured round structure and black at centre). They would request their aunt to get them from their native place. She would bring bag full of seed and Erukkam flower.One person will take Seed, go to streets - do sales of that seed. First they started with selling walking in street up and down shouting ' 2 seeds 10 Pasie, 2 seeds 20 Paise'. Like this they could do only small turn over. Later they understood that the Ganesha selling merchants are in need of this seed, because the Ganesha will be sold only if eyes of ganesha is completed. So, this team entered into agreement with those vendor and had bulk business deal. They would give 50 seeds and get 5 Rs in return. Like this they did sales of seeds. The Erukkam flower garland will be sold individually in market. wherever the Ganesha is sold, they will stand next to the place - shouting ' One mala 2 Rs'. The person who purchase Ganesha will also purchase this Erukkam Flower and the druva grass mala. With this they will get fund for their even
They will get one Umbrella ( Kodai) for One rupee and sell it for 2 rupees. Later, without investment, they will enter in agreement with vendor for 50-50 Share. They will get Umbrella from them for One rupee, sell it for 2 Rupees. Return the Share of 50 Paise to vendor and take 1.50 Rs for themselves as per agreement. Each and everywhere, they never missed enriching the person saying they are doing this fund raising for the event.
3. Fund raising by hard work
The street filled with buzzing activity - The aged people will not be able to carry the big ganesha, because their vehicle will be blocked at the start of the street corner. These boys will approach the elderly person, offer help in safely carrying Ganesha and as a gift would ask for 1 Rs for their event. The aged people will immediately agree to this offer as their Ganesha is costlier and couldn't afford to break the Ganesha. Two boys will take Ganesha in shoulders and safely get the ganesha to Old person Vehicle and return back for the next person. By this they will raise funds for the event.
Chronicle of Ganesha Chaturthi Celebrations:
5.30 Am (Approximately or before) Waking up
5.30 to 6 Am Yoga ( No Exemption from Routine). Yogi Yogananda puri will ask them to climb pillars or make them stand upside down if they go late, miss integrity.
6 Am to 12 Pm Team to start activity. New Ganesha making and alankaram of 2 ganeshas ( Newly made and one Purchased by father) to be worshiped in home to be finished by 12 so that they can for abisegam and Alankaram of Ganesha in Temple
12 to 12.30 Pm Break fast or grabbing something to drink. Mostly fasting to have feast in evening
12.30 to 1 pm Preparation for abisegam and abhishekam for Ganesha with Turmeric powder, honey, coconut water, Viboothi, kumkum
1 to 5.30 pm Sandalwood Powder Alankaram
5.30 to 6 Pm Whole team members gathering in temple for Arathi and Participation of Main temple Ganesha Celebration. The People whom they enriched morning, when they visit temple in evening for darshan of Main temple Ganesha, will be invited by the team members for them to have darshan of Ganesha under Banyan tree. They will be amazed by the hard work, sincerity seeing the Alankaram. They will come forward to get garland seeing Ganesha without flowers and would get coconut and offer Naivedyam. They will be asked to offer to deity directly and distribute prasad from their hands.
6 to 9.30 Pm 108 Ganesha Darshan. Offering of Puja will be done in evening and the devotees will start visiting all temple in all places for darshan. This boys team will be ready for the next phase of celebration. Ragupathi Yoga had told them that if they have darshan of 108 Ganesha, they will have good marks, auspiciousness and good in life and education. So, to fulfill the words, the team members will start the celebration by 6 pm from Main temple. They will come around temple at least 7 times going to each pillar, seeing each gopuram and count one, two, three. Their goal is 108. The eldest brother will take his cycle, pedal the cycle having Swamiji in back seat. Each place, since the offering is done in evening and prasad time - Elder brother will get prasad - complete eating and washing hands and only then will move to next place for the next Ganesha darshan. Swamiji not interested in having prasad, will be asked to sit in cycle, wait for them to complete eating. Like this they will go around whole Thiruvannamalai and have darshan of 108 Ganeshas. By the time the complete the darshan - Their stomach will be full like Ganesha and heart also flowing with Joy.
9.30 Pm Resting time as they have only one holiday and need to go School next, they will be made to sleep earlier by 9.30 or 10 pm Post Ganesha chaturthi Celebrations
The team will take the offered Sandalwood powder, make into ball and save them in container for next deity making. They will apply this sandal paste everyday when they go to school and college. They will ensure that nothing goes waste
The team will go in Tri-Cycle to collect left out clay in streets after the celebrations. The team will enjoy ride in downslope from their home, fill the entire tri cycle and return will struggle to move the cycle uphill road. 4 of them will use all strength to get the clay to their home. They will get a yellow bag ( Manjal Pai), fill part by part and carry to their terrace. Their working office in terrace is 4 poles and one tarpaulin sheet on top. They will put these clay in one place, cover them will jute sack sprinkle water frequently for clay to retain the moisture. They will make Ganesha in all forms like sitting, dancing, playing - They will be doing and doing and doing with that clay till the clay becomes unsuable. Then they will move to next form like Linga, Nandi. When the point comes, no more shape can be made out of that clay, only then they will have heart to go and put the form into water. Till then they will be using. Sometimes, Grandmother will become angry and throw some of the clay out - because the whole house will be with sand dust. They dont go for other activity. Only entertainment is temple and temple related activity.
Integrated Economic Policy
The fund collected for Spiritual work was never used for any other purpose. In those days, there is one type of candy named Horlicks mittai. One will get 5 candy for 5 Paise. But these members never used money for their personal food or any other personal requirements.
The broomstick will be inserted into the Hundi and will be shaken. The coins will come out. How much amount required for the event, that much amount only will be taken, rest will be put back inside hundi.
The Successful Economic Hindu way of Living and Organising
They would return the 10 paise that they took from hundi back to hundi. Atleast they would have 100 Rs amount in hand through sales, work in field and Plate money excluding the money spent for purchase of Sandalwood powder. The fund raised on that day will be immediately put in Hundi.
Moving from Hundi to Banking
They had a bank named Indian Bank - Savings branch - two house next to their house. The team members wanted to move from local savings to banking. The brothers went to bank manager and asked him to start a bank account for them under Children's saving account. The manager asked for Surety. The brothers said, this building owner is our relative and what more surety is needed. Then the account is opened. Every few days once, the brothers would go with coin and stand in front line as first person to deposit money. Once they went with 50 paise. The accountant said, the minimum amount should be atleast 2 rupees. They cannot take 50 paise. So, they will wait till they gather 2 Rs, once they get 2 Rs - They will deposit that amount immediately. Like this, they had their savings. When they are in need of amount for next event, they will sign the local cheque available in bank and would withdraw money
Photos
First Ganesh-Chaturthi Public Celebration