E-Paper
Akriti Kakar: I look forward to Ganesh Utsav ever since I moved to Mumbai
Singer Akriti Kakar reveals she has been celebrating Ganesh Utsav for the past eight years
Akriti Kakar was in awe upon witnessing the revelry around Ganesh Utsav when she first moved to Mumbai from Delhi several years ago. Now, the singer reveals that she has embraced the aspect of the culture, and brought it to her home as an annual tradition, and ritual she never misses.
“We have got Ganpati Bappa home. In Delhi, this festival was not even a holiday from school, so I don’t really have memories related to it. But ever since I moved to Mumbai, it has been something I look forward to every single year,” Kakar tells us, adding, “After I got married, my husband (Chirag Arora) and I collectively decided to embrace this festival even more and not just visit people’s homes and make this our own home tradition too.”
And ever since, the 35-year-old has been grateful enough to celebrate Bappa at her home. “At our place, the festival is about getting immersed with happiness, auspicious energies, have yummy prasad cooked at home, and enjoy all the impromptu musical jamming,” shares Kakkar, who has also released a song, titled Morya Karo Mangal, adding to the festive fervour.
“It is a heartfelt tribute to the remover of obstacles and the harbinger of good fortune. We have poured our devotion and love for Lord Ganpati, celebrating his wisdom and benevolence. The lyrics are a reflection of the faith and gratitude we hold in our hearts for our beloved deity,” she ends
Moreover, the Saturday Saturday (Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania; 2014) hitmaker shares that she has been going for eco-friendly idols for the past seven years, and it is the same this time around as well.
“The visarjan happens at home itself. The sthapana happens with a hawan in the morning followed by aarti that we all sing. This is the eight year we are bringing Bappa home. We’ve been creative about it from my mother making a paper mache bappa or making it with multani mitti to sometimes idols made by plants,” continues Kakkar, “Even for prasad, we don’t do mithai, we give plants and fruits. This year we’ve done a DIY kit to grow your own plants. It’s the best time of the year for us personally. Our home is blessed with bappa’s presence and the good energies love and music contributed by our friends and family.”
Recalling her memories of the festival ever since she started celebrating it in its full glory, the singer says, “From making lists systematically, doing darshan at different friends’ homes, dressing up to gorging on prasad, I have done it all. And praying for all that I would want to bappa, and the most beautiful unasked prayers have also come true during the Ganpati days. He is truly a god of new beginnings
