Can Uttarakhand’s Lokpal Lead the Way?

Orissa based sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik creates a sand sculpture of
Hindu elephant God, Lord Ganesh and anti-corruption campaigner
 Anna Hazare in Bangalore prior to Hindu festival Ganesh Chaturthi

India’s northern hill state of Uttarakhand earlier this week became the first in the nation to establish a strong anti-graft watchdog similar to the Jan Lokpal, or people’s ombudsman, that is being pushed at the national level by Gandhian activist Anna Hazare and his team.

The anti-corruption law known as the “Uttarakhand Lokayukta Bill”  was passed in the state assembly Monday and includes in its purview the chief minister and other ministers, legislators, and all government officials. It also covers the lower judiciary in the state but exempts high court judges.

The small hill state that was once a part of Uttar Pradesh is governed by India’s main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party. Passage of the law may give the BJP some advantage against the ruling Congress party in New Delhi when Parliament convenes for the winter session later this month by allowing the BJP to claim it has been actively implementing Hazare’s proposals and is serious about introducing anti-corruption measures.

A hero's welcome for Anna at Ralegan Siddhi

New Delhi: The man who has become the face of the anti-corruption movement in the country, Anna Hazare, reached his hometown Ralegan Siddhi on Wednesday night where he received a hero's welcome. The 74-year-old activist who was recuperating in a Gurgaon hospital for four days after his 13-day fast reached his village of Ralegan Siddhi, just in time to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi.

Anna Hazare was discharged from Medanta Medicity, the Gurgaon hospital on late Wednesday evening. He left for Pune immediately after being discharged. Doctors say his health has improved and he is slowly putting on some weight. Anna had lost over 7 kilos after his 13-day fast.

"I am feeling great. I feel very proud of the fact that I get to travel on this flight with Anna Hazare," said a person who happened to be on the same flight to Pune as Anna Hazare.

"What I wanted to say is that I have never seen God, but I have seen Anna today in person," said another about their two hour-flight with the 74-year old Gandhian.

Earlier, shouts of 'Vande Mataram' greeted anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare as he arrived in Pune on Wednesday night following his discharge from the hospital.

Hundreds of supporters, carrying the Tricolour, hailed the social activist as he came out of the Pune airport and left for Ralegan Siddhi, his native village about 120 km from, by road.

Police had a tough time controlling the jostling crowds trying to get a glimpse of Hazare as he boarded a car for Ralegan.

Hazare's personal assistant Suresh Pathare said the activist would be taking rest on Thursday and would address villagers on Friday.

Earlier, Hazare's associate Shyam Asawa had told PTI that the Gandhian had spoken to villagers over phone and asked them not to arrange any lavish reception for him.

Ganesh Utsav begins with 'Anna' chant

Mumbai: Maharashtra’s illustrious son has overshadowed the state's favourite festival, the Ganesh Utsav. Gandhian Anna Hazare, who came from a nondescript village in Ahmednagar district and captured the imagination of the country, has emerged as one of the favourite themes this year.

Anna Hazare's 13-day fast against corruption had united the nation; hence it’s no wonder that Anna finds a proud place on the podium with the Lord himself. He was discharged from hospital yesterday and has reached his village Ralegaon Siddhi to a hero’s welcome.

In one Mumbai pandal, the God of Wisdom is shown expressing his solidarity with Anna and the masses by wearing a white Gandhi cap.

At the feet of Ganesh is a rat, signifying the common man, and sports a white dhoti and vest with a white cap. Another rat is depicted wearing an orange dhoti, signifying spiritual support across religions.

And it’s not just that, a copy of the Jan Lokpal Bill is 'presented' before Lord Ganesh idol and the rats are shown praying to Lord Ganesh for his divine intervention to rid the country of corruption.

The 10-day long festival began on Thursday with prayers being held at homes and thousands thronging various pandals all across the city and elsewhere in the state.

Today morning the 'pran pratishthapana' puja was performed at the auspicious 'muhurat' as per the Hindu 'panchang'. The idol can be kept at home for a half-a-day, five days or the entire 10 days of the festival.

In Mumbai, the biggest attraction, as always, is the Lalbagh Ganesh, fondly called Lalbaghcha Raja. Hordes of devotees have started to converge for a darshan amid tight security. Elsewhere in the city too, Ganesh pandals with huge statues of the God revered as vignaharta (obstacle remover).

The 10-day Ganesh festival has also begun with traditional pomp and gaiety in other cities of the state like Pune, Nashik, Sangli, Kolhapur, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad and Nagpur.

Over the years, the festival has grown out of Maharashtra and is celebrated with fervour in many other parts of the country as well.

Known as Vinayaga Chaturthi in Tamil Nadu, the festival is being celebrated on a large scale in the southern state.

The festival is also being celebrated with reverence in other parts of the country as well, including in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Udaipur and Delhi.

The festival ends with devotees immersing the idols in the sea or water bodies.

Anna Hazare new theme for Ganesh Chaturthi idols

CHENNAI: It is a birthday that celebrates the sweetness, power and contemporary appeal of Lord Ganesha. With Ganesh Chaturthi commencing on Thursday, devotees have set up makeshift pandals across the city to house a variety of idols.

Idol makers in Kosapet said there was a lot of demand for Ganeshas in the form of social activist Anna Hazare. "He is our new hero," said G Ashok, an idol maker. "We also made Ganeshas keeping the cricket theme in mind because India recently won the World Cup," he said.

As there is a ban on using plaster of Paris, most idol makers have bought clay or papier-mache models from Andhra Pradesh and given finishing touches based on customer demand. In West Saidapet, R Bhoominathan got a nine-ft tall Ganesha idol with a peacock motif. "Last year, we used a lion motif. We went for something different as he is a god who comes in all avatars," said Bhoominathan, who was busy putting the final touches to the pandal.

They are planning to offer chakkara pongal, ven pongal, sambar rice and moong dal sundal to visitors. "Peas sundal is common so we decided to offer the costlier moong dal as it is a special occasion," he said.

Police have allowed people to install Ganesha idols at 1,200 areas in the city and have deployed 10,000 personnel around the pandals.

In T Nagar, the heady smell of boondi (small, fried pakodi made from chickpea flour) engulfed Venkatanarayana Road as organisers put the final touches to a 15 ft idol made of the savoury. "We used 1,008 kg of boondi and decked it up with cashews, raisins and dates," said V Santhanam, the co-ordiantor of the pandal.

A chef was brought in to prepare the boondi and workers created the idol at the venue over the last 10 days. "It cost Rs 70,000. We are continuing with the tradition of using only natural material to make the idol," said Santhanam. Last year, the idol was made of kozhukattas (sweet rice dumplings) and the year before of jaggery.

R Prabha who came with her son Mukund to see the idol was not disappointed. "Every year they make something special. Look at the hundreds and thousands of boondi," said Prabha, pointing out the workmanship to her son.

The concept behind the idol is the same one that prompted freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak to popularise Ganesh Chathurthi, said Santhanam. "He organised mass celebrations to bring people together during the freedom struggle. When this form of the festival came to Chennai in the 1990s, the core values remained. With this idol, we hope to symbolise the bounty and sweetness of Ganesha," he said.

The festival ends with devotees immersing the idols in the sea or water bodies. This year, the idols can be immersed into the sea at Pattinapakkam, Kasimedu, Thiruvottiyur, Neelankarai and Ennore, said police.