Ganesha, Pillaiyar, Vinayaka…he’s known by so many names. This particular doll is made of clay and is almost 60 years old. The paint had faded, and it has been repainted recently with an artistic touch.
Ganesha has long been known as the one who removes obstacles from your way. People pray to him at the beginning of every pooja, or every effort to achieve something that is important to them. They pray that the obstacles will melt away or that they will have the strength to face and overcome them so they can achieve success. But achievement and success cannot be merely a matter of prayer. What is required is a parallel human effort.
The game of Aadu Puli Aatam, or the tiger and goat game is known across India in many forms. In this version, 15 goats battle with three tigers. While the tigers can kill the goats, the goats have to surround the tiger so the tiger cannot move. This effort of immobilizing and rendering the tigers ineffective, as it were, is symbolic of the efforts we need to remove or overcome the obstacles in our path.
The ability of the seemingly weaker goats to overcome the seemingly strong tigers happens when all the fifteen goats work in coordination. Sacrificing one goat never helps. This is much like the efforts we require to coordinate our efforts – our resources, our work, our focus, and even our prayers in overcoming obstacles in our way.
So, on this day, the first day of Dussera, let us invoke Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and let us pledge to work hard and use our resources so we can overcome any obstacle in our way and find success.
Ripples Of Life and Time 