Feeling Homesick During Ganesh Chaturthi While Living Abroad? You’re Not Alone

Aug 27
4 min read

When the dhols beat in India and the smell of modaks fills the air, being far away can sting. Ganesh Chaturthi is not just a festival — it’s belonging, family, and faith. If you’re a Desi abroad missing home, here’s why it hurts, how you can still stay connected, and how SEVEE holds space for you even when you’re seas apart.

The Origin of Ganesh Chaturthi — A Festival of New Beginnings

Ganesh Chaturthi celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha, our beloved Vighna Harta — the remover of obstacles, the giver of wisdom, and the one who blesses new beginnings. Traditionally, families and communities bring Ganesha idols home or into pandals, worship with devotion, share sweets like modaks, and end the celebration with visarjan — immersing the idol, symbolizing letting go of obstacles and inviting renewal.

For many of us growing up in India, it wasn’t just a religious ritual. It was the sound of aarti in the evenings, neighbors dropping in with prasad, cousins running around barefoot, and that unexplainable joy of community togetherness.

Ganpati bappa, celebrations begins - with dance, gulal and music

A Personal Note from My Heart to Yours

My first Ganesh Chaturthi was in 2002 in Mumbai, at my first home in Kandivali East, Thakur Village. I still remember the madness of joy when Bappa arrived in our society. It was the first time I saw a festival untouched by caste, creed, or culture. Everyone was equal. No bank balance was checked, no gender mattered. It was pure celebration.

Trucks were loaded, roads rushed with gulal and music. Everyone danced together — strangers, neighbors, kids, elders. No one worried about how they looked. No one was shy. When the Nasik dhol beat, it was impossible to stay still. I just hopped into a neighbor’s truck, and suddenly I was being fed vada pav and modaks, while the nagadas roared and we all danced our way to visarjan.

It was sheer togetherness. For years when I lived in LA, I missed that. I missed the dance, the taste of vada pav, the grand aarti of Bappa. I missed leaving office early to join the society gathering, brewing chai for groups staying awake all night with Bappa.

And I know my fellow videsi Desis — especially from Mumbai and Maharashtra — must be feeling that same homesickness during Ganesh Chaturthi. Which is why, here are some gentle ways to still feel the beat of the dhols when you’re far away, trying to build a life.

Ganesh Chaturthi Abroad — Why It Feels Different

When you live abroad, festivals often feel quieter. Instead of pandals at every corner, you may just have a small gathering at a local temple or celebrate at home with limited resources. The time difference means you might see your family’s celebrations only through video calls. And while your friends around you may not understand why you’re suddenly nostalgic or teary-eyed, deep down you know it’s not just about rituals — it’s about missing home.

Homesickness during festivals is real. It’s that ache of not being where your heart feels rooted. For Desis abroad, festivals become both beautiful and painful reminders — a reminder of our roots, and of the distance.

A Modern Understanding — Carrying Tradition in New Ways

Here’s the thing: culture is alive. It adapts, it travels with us. Celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi abroad doesn’t have to mean losing the essence — it just means shaping it to your reality.

You can set up a small Ganesha idol at home, even if it’s simple.
Stream aarti from your hometown temple. Technology can be a bridge.
Cook modaks with what you have — they may taste different, but they carry the same intention.
Invite friends — Desi or not — to join. Festivals are meant to be shared.
Share stories with your children, explaining not just the “how” but the “why” of Ganesh Chaturthi.

This way, you’re not just preserving tradition — you’re planting seeds of belonging for the next generation, even on foreign soil.

Staying Connected to Your Roots When You’re Seas Apart

Connection is not about geography. It’s about meaning. Even oceans can’t take away what’s in your heart. Here are gentle ways to feel close:

Call your family during aarti time — sing together, even through a screen.
Join local Desi communities — many organize Ganesh Utsav abroad, where you’ll find the same songs, smells, and laughter.
Create your own rituals — maybe it’s writing a gratitude note to Ganesha, lighting a diya daily, or teaching your kids the Ganesh mantra.
Reflect inward — festivals are as much about personal renewal as community celebration. Take a pause, ask yourself: what obstacle do I want Ganesha to help me release this year?

Closing Note — SEVEE Is Your Safe Space, Anywhere in the World

Homesickness during festivals is not just nostalgia.

It’s grief.

It’s longing.

It’s love for your roots.

And it deserves care.

At SEVEE, we hold space for your emotions — the pride of carrying your culture and the pain of missing it. Whether you’re in California, London, Dubai, or back in Ahmedabad, our online and offline counseling helps you process these feelings, stay rooted in your identity, and create emotional clarity.

Because sometimes, you just need someone who understands both the Desi heart and the global journey.