with Sri Ganesh

became a fairly dense downpour till after 10, drenching the soil. This morning the sky is all clear. I saw in the news that people had already started to take their effigies of Lord Ganesha to the sea; but here I do not yet feel to remove every “decoration”… I just take away the old flowers and place some fresh ones, without disturbing the main pattern. Madhu has come for a last visit before returning to Gujarat and meditates a long while and offers a grand Rs.11/-…! But I give him coconuts and prasad for his family and, in contrast, his auto-rickshaw driver comes in to pray and do pranam with a very genuine movement… Namaste Sri Ganesh…

- 22-09-15:

Today I clear the shrine and remove Sri Ganesh’s dress and clean and scrub and rearrange all around him with sprigs of ragi, cambu and coconuts and some fresh flowers and give all the other fruits and vegetables to the headman for distribution in the village schools… A while later a group of Gujarati devotees come to the door to pray and, seeing a white man officiating, are taken aback but, being decent, surmount the shock and settle in and their misgivings seem to drop away and they

appear to be very moved and offer Rs. 250/-… Namaste Sri Ganesh, Namaste Priyaganesha…

- 23-09-15:

The heat is humid and heavy again… Clean the utensils and puja tools, prior to resuming the daily service.

Namaste Sri Ganesh Simple and Present And charged with Her, Your mass is potent With protection For the Way… Aum

- 25-09-15:

Sri Ganesh, You are resplendent and contained,

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