This photo was taken during Ganesh Chaturthi in Pune, a festival that’s so close to my heart. Ganesh Chaturthi is all about joy, devotion, and community—people come together to celebrate the birth of Lord Ganesha, with these massive, beautiful pandals. But here's the thing: with the cultural climate back home right now, political and religious extremism feels like it’s seeping into everything. The politics are so driven by religious propaganda—there’s this strong push to influence people’s sentiments, and it’s created such a divide between communities, especially Hindus and Muslims.

This divide finds a way to obstruct progress, happiness, and even the safety of vulnerable communities. On the backing of religion, there are a lot of misinformed opinions and beliefs about practicing a certain way of life which leads to a lot of judgment and discrimination against people who refuse to practice it. Minorities, including the LGBTQ community, are caught in the middle, which feels so weird to me. Hinduism has so much representation of LGBTQ themes in its history and texts, and yet now they’re being targeted in ways that go against that inclusivity.

But this photo? This moment? It’s like a pause from all that chaos. During Ganesh Chaturthi, the hate and the forceful opinions all fade into the background, it's all about coming together and celebrating. In these moments, you see pure love and acceptance between all communities. It reminds me of the rich historical significance of Ganesh Chaturthi which was revived by Bal Gangadhar Tilak—to unite people against British rule. Back then, the British tried to divide Hindus and Muslims, and today, we see political figures doing the same. But when you’re in a moment like this, all the political noise fades, and you feel hopeful again. Love and unity feel stronger than all the hate out there.