MUMBAI: Renowned artistic director and choreographer Sumit Khetan calls himself a “devoted believer” in Lord Ganesha. In fact, what started just as an excitement for a young Sumit, turned into a lifetime commitment of bringing Bappa to his home every year.
He shared, “Growing up, our building used to host the Ganpati festival, and I was always captivated by it as a child. One year, the organizers had an extra small Ganpati idol, and since three idols weren’t allowed in the pandal, they gave one to us. We performed the puja at home, and that experience left a lasting impression on me.”
“Later, in my excitement one year, I secretly booked a small Ganpati idol without my parents’ permission. I had saved my pocket money, which I usually used for school travel, and used it to reserve the idol. When I informed my mother, she was upset and explained that there are important rituals that must be followed. She asked me to cancel the booking, but then she changed her mind and told me not to. Since then, we have been celebrating the Ganpati festival for 10 days every year.”
And now they bring home around a three-foot-tall idol every year, and it’s the most joyous time of the year for him. He continued, “We celebrate with immense love and devotion. We celebrate the festival with grandeur. I sing the aartis every morning and evening. Our visarjan takes place early in the morning, accompanied by chappan bhog.”
“Additionally, as part of the Ramleela Prachar Samiti, where I organise the Ramleela, our committee organizes a food stall on Marve Road on Visarjan day. We distribute over 10,000 vada pavs and puri bhaji to devotees. I serve as a joint secretary of the committee, and along with my family, friends, and fellow committee members, we work as a team to offer this service to all the devotees of Lord Ganesh,” he added.
But it’s not just that he celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi, Sumit even makes it a point to visit the Siddhivinayak Temple. Talking about it, he said, “Whenever I am in Mumbai, I make it a point to visit the temple every Tuesday, a tradition I’ve kept alive for more than 15 years. Even when I was hospitalized once, I still made sure to go to the temple, complete my darshan, and return.”
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