At
the Ganesh festival celebrations in Hague, the Netherlands, this year, the city
will have a vital role to play. The 2.25-metre tall Ganesh idol to be installed
for the celebrations in Hague, perhaps the largest in Europe, will be shipped
from
Pune.
"The
organisers of the programme wanted the idol to be sent from Pune because of the
city's famous Ganesh festival celebrations as also its rich cultural heritage,"
said Anil Shodre of city-based organisation Ninad, which is sending the idol to
the Netherlands and is also co-sponsoring the festivities. The idol will leave
for the Netherlands on Monday.
The
celebrations in the Hague are being organised by the United Kingdom-based Hindu
Culture and Heritage Society, the apex body of all temples in Europe. The body
organises celebrations of religious and cultural festivals in different European
countries.
"The
programme will be held from August 29 to August 31 and is expected to see
participants from around 25 countries. This includes members of the European
Parliament, the president of the European Union, the prime minister of the
Netherlands, the mayor of Hague and leaders of various religious groups," said
Shodre.
The
idol, which has been made by the city-based Deshmukh brothers, is made of
Plaster of Paris and painted with eco-friendly vegetable colours. The idol has
been created keeping in mind the Netherlands' stringent environmental and other
rules and regulations, informs Shodre. All the necessary offerings required for
the 'puja' will be sent along with the idol, which will be immersed in the North
Sea.
In
fact, this is the fourth year in a row when the idol for the Hindu Culture and
Heritage Society's Ganesh festival celebrations in Europe will be sourced from
the city. Ninad first sent a Ganesh idol for the festivities in Europe three
years ago, when the celebrations were held in London. "It was at the request of
Brijmohan Gupta, the chairman of the organisation, who is an acquaintance, that
we sent the idol to London in 2005," states Shodre.
After
holding the Ganesh festival celebrations in London for three years on the trot,
it was decided this year to shift the venue to another European city. The idea
was to enable the participation of people from the other European countries as
well.
But
why the Hague? Replies Shodre, "The International Court of Justice is based
there and it being a symbol of peace, the Hague was the best possible place to
celebrate the Ganesh festival, especially since Lord Ganesh is considered a
symbol of peace."
"In
fact, when the UK government accepted the application to immerse the idol in the
Thames in the previous years, it surprised many of us. But their decision is a
sign of hope and tolerance," Shodre further says, while stressing that the
programme has no political associations and is meant to forge cultural ties.
According
to a press note issued by the Society in the UK, there is one Creator and The
aim of the function is to celebrate tradition and culture and forget points of
division and differences. The note goes on to say that the Society aims to adopt
the tradition of oneness in order to promote peace and harmony in these times of
turbulence. Also, it sees the celebrations as a way to improve intra-cultural
dialogue among European countries.