Creatively setting up dekhawas, which are
decorations depicting scenes from Hindu mythology, next to Lord Ganesh’s idol
is a traditional practice. Apart from adding to the decor and showcasing
interesting tales, these dekhawas are testimony to the unity that prevails
amidst the youth of that particular area as setting up a grand dekhawa is not a
one-man job. Earlier dekhawa utilised the skills of artisans but over the
course of time, technology started finding its way into the setup.
Taking innovation one step further are the
youth of Mala-Panjim, who happen to be members of the NGO Yuva, who have
infused the speed and convenience of smart phones to the festival. “To fulfil
this wish we decided to create an app that would allow devotees to have control
over the Ganesh idol,” says Raghuvir Mahale, the leader of the group that
created this mobile app.
The tech-friendly Ganesh dekhawa has been
created at Marutigad-Mala for the area’s Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav. “When a
devotee enters, s/he can download the app named ‘NetPlug’ from Google
playstore, utilise the wi-fi connection ‘Yuva’ with the password provided, open
the app and select ‘Ganesha’. The app is based on the IoT module which is
connected with the local internet. Once you click on the Ganesha picture, the
swing where Ganesha is resting starts moving, it then synchronises with his
head and hand movements. Ganesh starts eating ladoos too,” says Raghuvir.
“For those devotees not carrying Android
Kitkat or above versions can make use of the phones that our team members have
so they do not miss out on the opportunity of experiencing this unique dekhawa.
On the right hand side of the dekhawa we have a mooshak that offers tirth (holy
water). Everything is controlled via this app,” adds Raghuvir.
The Ganesh idol is made out of sutali
(coconut choir), waste nylon, soil, grass and paper. “The tradition of making
dekhawas is a long-standing one at Mala. The Marutigad Sarvajanik Ganapati
Utsav Samiti organises the All Goa Sajawat Competition. Earlier the decorations
were done in our homes but in order to facilitate public viewing, the set up is
now done in the hall next to Maruti temple, Mala,” informs Raghuvir.
Raghuvir reveals that the idea came to him
sometime in August and he quickly gathered another 30 members of Yuva to work
on the project. “Our group objective was to get involved in social activities;
this facilitated that as well as allowed us to showcase our talent. As
students, we had to carry out our work
in the night; but we are delighted with the results. We also had the support of
well wishers who backed us up in terms of funding. The dekhawa will remain open
till September 25. So far 7,500 devotees have made use of this app,” concludes
Raghuvir.
