Happy Ganesha Chaturthi!

[Maya3]

Have a blessed day everyone!

Maya

 

[Jainarayan]

Backatcha!

 

[Breathe]

Jāya Gaṇeśa!

 

[Riverwolf]

Ganesha sharanam, sharanam Ganesha.

 

[Me Myself]

Aum Sri Ganeshaya Namah! :namaste

 

[TenjikuZero]

Thank you, and wishing you the same!

 

[Vinayaka]

Our temple was so crowded last night. I think the fire marshalls okayed it for 450 people, but there must have been 800 +. The fruit offerings on archana trays spread out from the moolasthanam through the second room, onto a table far into the crowd. The street out beyond the parking lot was like Delhi. People had to be almost shoved out of the way for the inside circumabumbulation. Then when He was taken outside to go around, I went back inside. It was still crowded in there, because that was the only chance many had to have darshan of the moolastnanam murthi. No room for much at all.

I like it, the energy of so many devotees, its like a crowded temple in India, like Palani, but then again its not really my style, so we left right after the parade finished that was at 9, and the homa started at 5. Iyer asked me to ring the bell all through the abhishekham, which lasted an hour so so, so that was fun, a good seat in the house.. ... I'll go back later this week when there is no crowd, for some private time.

 

[Maya3]

Our temple was so crowded last night. I think the fire marshalls okayed it for 450 people, but there must have been 800 +. The fruit offerings on archana trays spread out from the moolasthanam through the second room, onto a table far into the crowd. The street out beyond the parking lot was like Delhi. People had to be almost shoved out of the way for the inside circumabumbulation. Then when He was taken outside to go around, I went back inside. It was still crowded in there, because that was the only chance many had to have darshan of the moolastnanam murthi. No room for much at all.

I like it, the energy of so many devotees, its like a crowded temple in India, like Palani, but then again its not really my style, so we left right after the parade finished that was at 9, and the homa started at 5. Iyer asked me to ring the bell all through the abhishekham, which lasted an hour so so, so that was fun, a good seat in the house.. ... I'll go back later this week when there is no crowd, for some private time.

That sounds lovely! Crowded but still lovely.

I didn´t go to temple yesterday, my husband and I and new puppy did a puja (very short, puppies are not very patient for these things
I went to a river Arati with my temple saturday that was amazing, and I went to Ganesha puja an Tuesday.

Maya

 

[Vinayaka]

Today was the 11th day after so we did Visarjana. The local River has a bit more clay in it soon to be formless from form.

 

[Gaura Priya]

Ganesh is fresh!

 

[Vinayaka]

About 10 days away ... I hope people who celebrate have a happy and joyous festival. Our temple will be too overcrowded ... so much I may not go in the evening.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Yes, my wife has asked me to copy the Ganesha Aaratis. We will have a environment-friendly small Ganesha idol this time (not the large plaster idols that we had in the past two years..

 

[Jainarayan]

I have an idea for eco-friendly murthis that could be semi-mass produced. Would that I had the talent to sculpt and the resources to do it:

1. Sculpt the murthi in resin or another non-porous substance. This would be the "master" for making plaster molds. Eventually the plaster does deteriorate, producing dulled features.
2. Coat the master with a micro-thin layer of oil, butter, or petroleum jelly.
3. Fill a container with plaster-of-paris and place the murthi master in it, horizontally only half way and let the plaster set and cure. Trivia: plaster-of-paris gives off heat as it sets and cures.
4. When the plaster is fully cured, cut keyholes at different points so two halves of the mold will line up properly.
5. Coat the surface of the plaster, and the keyholes with oil.
6. Pour plaster on top of the murthi master and let it set. This now encases the murthi in the plaster.
7. Separate the two halves of the mold and remove the master. Somewhere on the mold - I'd use the back - drill and/or cut a pourhole to pour the liquid clay (called 'slip') into and drain it from.
8. Leave the mold to sit and form a shell on the inside if the mold. Plaster, being porous, will absorb the water from the slip. Drain the slip when the shell's desired thickness is reached. As water evaporates from the plaster the shell will shrink and pull away from the mold.
9. Open the mold and let the clay murthi fully dry. If it's thick enough the "greenware" is actually pretty sturdy, even without being fired.
10. The murthi can be painted with food-quality vegetable coloring. They can then be submerged and will dissolve with no harm to the environment after the festival.

This is how I used to make my own ceramic molds. What might be called bad karma phala, Asperger's and hypomania, does have its advantages.

 

[Aupmanyav]

IMHO, thick mud paste pressed into a lower mold then the 'back of the idol' mold pressed on to it. Rest by hand. Pouring will take a long time to dry up.
Large idols are made on a skeleton of straw. Once finished, they are master-pieces. All to be immersed after nine days of worship.
Rain or shine, idol-making goes on: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-pape...r-shine-idolmaking-goes-on/article2414066.ece
Transformers: The Ganesha idols that turn into plants!: http://www.thestatesman.com/mobi/ph...-the-ganesha-idols-that-turn-into-plants.html

 

[Aupmanyav]

Jāya Gaṇeśa!

Hail Cthulhu also. I accept all pagan deities. All people think their deity is the greatest. We do not mind that.

 

[Aupmanyav]

We are not going to have an environment-friendly small Ganesha this time - wife's decision. No change in what we were doing for the last two years. From next year we will make changes. The plaster cast would cost us around 18 USD.

 

[Vinayaka]

We've invited a Tamil family from South India to join us in making clay environmentally friendly ones from scratch. We'll put them in the river a few days later.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Best wishes for your enterprise.
I will try it next year. Here these are very costly for us. A small one will cost 60 USD. The price for a larger one goes up to 300 USD or more.

 

[Vinayaka]

Best wishes for your enterprise.
I will try it next year. Here these are very costly for us. A small one will cost 60 USD. The price for a larger one goes up to 300 USD or more.

Why so costly? We use potter's clay, about $30 Canadian for a box that lasts 3 or 4 years, with small 4 inch Ganapatis. Surely you have a
reasonably priced source of clay?

 

[Aupmanyav]

I am talking of a finished, colored Ganapati - and then it is Festival time, prices increase, time to make a kill. One desires a larger Ganapati, not that small.
Clay is not a common market item. Though there are many pottery classes.