Somewhere along the Hessaraghatta reservoir, we look into water. It is sandy where we stand, sandy enough to worry me that the drizzling rain will make it soft and marshy. We’d only discovered that there is a path after seeing a few other people walking out onto the road from this side. Near the Durgamba Devi temple, a well and two people.There is a path on the embankment where most people walk. There is also a path below the embankment that gives access to the few farm houses, cattle sheds and coconot/palm plantations that line the side. This Ganesh Chaturthi, there is a remnant of a procession in every street. Streets are lit up, there are some streets that I have never seen so brightly lit with festival lighting in the last few years. Close to my home, there is the Chickabettahalli Jamia Masjid, that is right on the BEL - AFS - Vidyaranyapura - Yelahanka road. The road is a sharp white line of seggregation. You will not find so many muslims on the east side of the road, while the western side is not so fancy looking. The left side is also the Chickabettahalli village. For Ganesh processions, there is a lot of police personnel who have been stationed all along the road. And there is a van of personnel who stay opposite the mosque, all evening, and possibly all night. It is everybody’s wonder why they stay in front of a mosque during ganesh processions.
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