Cumbarjua Ganesh Sangodd

 

 

On the seventh day of Ganesh Chaturthi, the verdant banks of the Cumbarjua canal come alive with music, fireworks, and floats on boats. The occasion is the traditional ‘Sangodd’, on which residents of Marcel and Cumbarjua take their Ganesh idols for immersion in the river on flotillas of boats tied together and decorated with floats depicting mythological, social and other themes. The celebrations are enlivened by the bursting of crackers and the playing of music over speakers.

The origins of this unique celebration, according to villagers, may be traced back to almost a century ago. A vodekar (boatman) family had installed their idol of Lord Ganesha at Shantadurga Cumbharjuvekarin temple, across the river in Marcel. At the time of immersion on the seventh day, the family used a canoe for the immersion. As the custom developed in popularity, the number of people who wanted to participate in the immersion increased, and many boats had to be joined together to accommodate them. The sangodd or the flotilla of boats became a colourful tradition.

 

Photos by Lynn Barreto Miranda / lynn.barretomiranda.com

Clicked on 17th September 2018.

 

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