Bringing Bappa home after 16 years made me emotional: Ganesh Gohain

Artist couple Ganesh Gohain and Santana Gohain had no plans of bringing Bappa home this year. But a chance visit to artist Yogesh Sonawane’s studio changed everything. Ganesh Gohain tells us, “Yogesh bhai makes amazing eco-friendly Ganpati idols and after visiting his studio, I asked him if he could make one for me.

He instantly agreed and that’s how I ended up bringing Bappa home after 16 years. It made me very emotional.”Gohain, who did the visarjan on Tuesday evening, adds, “There is a happy void now. I am thankful to artists Mahesh Padia and Vatsya Padia (Mahesh’s daughter), on whose insistence I visited Yogeshbhai’s studio.”‘I was in tears when we brought Bappa home’Gohain says that he “was in tears after bringing Bappa home.” He shares, “My feelings completely changed after I saw so many beautiful idols at the studio. The positive vibe was overwhelming and after we brought the idol home, aisa laga ki koi bachcha ghar mein aaya hai. It was painful to do the visarjan.”He adds, “As a sculptor, Ganpati Bappa’s form has always fascinated me-it's so versatile! Also, the stories about Him are really interesting. It’s all about faith and the festival has so much positivity associated with it. We should never forget the contribution of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who ensured that Ganesh Chaturthi became a community event. I hope everyone remembers the purpose behind that (promoting unity). It pains me when I see DJs playing Bollywood songs while welcoming Bappa. I love it when He is welcomed by dhol tasha performances.”