La Fête de Ganesh 2015
IT’S THAT TIME of the year again! An annual colourful procession through the streets of the 18th arrondissement, an elephant representing Genesha, the Hindu deity of wisdom, propriety and good fortune, people adorned with strings of jasmine and shattered coconuts laying at the roadside means that it must be La Fête de Ganesh.
The Parisian Fête de Ganesh begins at the Sri Manicka Vinayakar Alayam temple in rue Pajol, the largest Hindu temple in France, where religious ceremonies precede the procession through the streets of the neighbourhood.
As the procession gets underway, a water truck precedes it and the streets are washed. It seems that cleanliness really is next to godliness.
Leading the procession are the drum dancers.
Dancers carrying an arch of peacock feathers on their shoulders come next …
… and then ladies carrying clay pots with burning camphor on their heads.
Next, pulled by two large ropes made of vegetable fibre each twenty metres long, comes the five metre high chariot carrying the statue of Ganesh, the God with an elephant’s head. The chariot is entirely covered with red and white cloth and decorated with garlands of fresh flowers, bananas and areca wrapped in betel leaves.
Coconuts play a significant part in the procession. Piles of them are placed at the roadside and during the procession they are broken by smashing them onto the ground. The coconut shell symbolises the world, the flesh represents individual Karma and the coconut milk the human ego. By breaking the coconut, one offers one’s heart to Ganesh.
The milk from hundreds of coconuts is spread across the streets for Ganesh’s chariot to pass over.
Singers and musicians follow Ganesh’s chariot and throughout the course of the procession offerings are made and food and drink distributed.
Sounds of la Fête de Ganesh 2015:
With its vibrant colours, intoxicating exotic smells and multi-textured, rhythmical sounds, la Fête de Ganesh is truly a multisensory experience.
La Fête de Ganesh 2014
LA FÊTE DE GANESH, along with the celebrations for the Chinese New Year and the Carnaval Tropical, bring an annual wave of colour and spectacle to the streets of Paris highlighting the city’s cultural diversity.
Indian communities across the world celebrate la Fête de Ganesh at this time of the year and yesterday I went to join the celebrations in Paris.
The Sri Manicka Vinayakar Alayam temple, in rue Pajol
Genesha, the Hindu deity of wisdom, propriety and good fortune, has a temple dedicated to him in Paris, the Sri Manicka Vinayakar Alayam temple, in rue Pajol in the 18th arrondissement. It was from here that a colourful procession set off yesterday on its tour of the surrounding area.
Strands of jasmine were on sale everywhere
To experience la Fête de Ganesh is to experience a multi-sensory feast with the colourful costumes and the equally colourful sounds overlayed with wonderfully exotic smells.
Unfortunately, I can’t recreate the exotic smells for you to enjoy but I can share with you this year’s Fête de Ganesh in sounds and pictures and let them tell their own story.
La Fête de Ganesh 2014 in sound:
The Deity Ganesha has been represented with the head of an elephant since the early stages of his appearance in Indian art
This is the pile of coconuts that you can hear being smashed in my recording
Lunch after the parade … if you can find a seat! Then the clean up begins …
La Fête de Ganesh 2013
IN PARIS, THE SUMMER SEASON of colourful celebrations and processions came to an end yesterday with the annual Fête de Ganesh. Organised by the temple de Ganesh de Paris Sri Manicka Vinayakar Alayam, this Chariot Festival as its known has taken place in Paris each year since 1996.
Genesha is the Hindu deity of wisdom, propriety and good fortune as well as the destroyer of evils and obstacles.
The Fête de Ganesh begins with a religious ceremony at the temple de Ganesh de Paris Sri Manicka Vinayakar Alayam in rue Pajol after which a colourful procession sets off and meanders through the 10th and 18th arrondissements. I caught up with them in rue Marx Dormoy.
Sounds of the Fête de Ganesh 2013:
I’m afraid that I’m not up to speed with all the symbolism of the Fête de Ganesh but I do know that elephants and coconuts are important.
Piles of coconuts are erected at various points along the procession route and when the procession arrives at each pile the coconuts are picked up and then smashed into the ground.
You can hear the sound of the coconuts being smashed in my sound piece although you might be forgiven for mistaking it for the sound of gunfire or fireworks.
To go with the sounds, here are some more sights of my visit to the Fête de Ganesh 2013.
La Fête de Ganesh 2012
INDIAN COMMUNITIES across the world celebrate la Fête de Ganesh at this time of the year. Yesterday, I went to join the celebrations in Paris.
Genesha, the Hindu deity of wisdom, propriety and good fortune, has a temple dedicated to him in Paris, the Sri Manicka Vinayakar Alayam temple, in the rue Pajol. And it was from here that a colourful procession set off on its tour of the surrounding area. As always with these kinds of events perhaps it’s best simply to let the pictures and the sounds tell the story.
Sounds of La Fête de Ganesh:
Sounds of La Fête de Ganesh:
Sounds of La Fête de Ganesh:
Sounds of La Fête de Ganesh:
You can find the sights and sounds of last year’s Fête de Ganesh here.
La Fête de Ganesh 2011
PARIS IS NOT JUST for the French, other communities live here too. And while the French celebrate their Fête Nationale in style and the Chinese in Paris celebrate their new year with fabulous displays of colourful dancing lions and dragons accompanied by endless firecrackers, today it was the turn of the Indian community to have their celebration with La Fête de Ganesh.
Genesha, with his elephant’s head to make him easily recognisable, is the Hindu deity of wisdom, propriety and good fortune and a temple is dedicated to him in Paris, the Sri Manicka Vinayakar Alayam temple, in the rue Pajol. And it was from here that today’s colourful procession set off around this part of the 18th arrondissement. The women dressed up, the men dressed down and a good time was had by all.
So let’s celebrate the sights and sounds of today’s Fête de Ganesh.
The sounds of La Fête de Ganesh:
And after a long, hard day …
Soundlandscapes' Blog 