Hi everyone, I'm Arohi Prabhu. I was born and raised in Germany by Indian parents, which meant growing up balancing two different worlds.
For most of my life, I experienced my heritage mainly within our home — through family meals, traditional stories, and celebrating holidays as a household. But over the past five years, participating in Ganeshotsav right here in Berlin has given me something deeper: a chance to actually live that culture out in the open.
When the pulse of the city shifts
For ten days, the pulse of the city shifts. Berlin is still Berlin — the trains keep running, people rush to work, and someone is inevitably complaining about the BVG. But right in the middle of that daily routine, a vibrant space opens up: filled with Maharashtrian food, traditional dancing, prayers, and hundreds of people gathering together.
It doesn't replace the city. It adds a new layer to it.
The collective energy
What makes it so remarkable is the collective energy behind it. Strangers quickly become teammates, spending hours working side by side behind the scenes on decorations, events, and logistics to pull everything off.
The sound of the dhol-tasha pathak and the lezim performances brings an incredible energy to the streets. Beyond the excitement, there's something powerful about its symbolism — hundreds of people moving in total synchronisation.
Learning as I go
There are times during the festival when a custom or story comes up and I realise I don't know it. Growing up thousands of kilometres away from India, there are traditions I'm still discovering. Every year, I learn new customs, hear a fresh perspective on familiar tales, and feel a growing sense of belonging within the culture I was born into.
The Berlin community has never treated heritage like a test you have to pass to belong. If you have questions, people are happy to share. Belonging isn't about how much you already know — it's about the connections and memories you build today.
Bridging two identities
Ganesha is often associated with new beginnings and clearing the path forward. For me, this festival bridges the different parts of my life. It reminds me that I don't have to pick one side of my identity over the other.
I don't have to choose between being German and being Indian. I can simply be both.
Culture that travels
Ganeshotsav has taught me that culture isn't something that only exists in the place where it originated. It can travel. It can adapt. It can take root somewhere completely different and still feel authentic and alive.
For someone born and raised in Germany, Ganeshotsav gives me a way to connect with a part of myself that I might otherwise only know through stories. It gives me the opportunity to learn, to participate, to contribute and, most importantly, to belong.
So when I think about those ten days, I don't just think about Ganpati, the celebrations, the music or the events.
I think about people.
Ganeshotsav has taught me that culture isn't fixed to a single place — it travels, adapts, and takes root wherever people honour it. It isn't about perfectly recreating India in Berlin.
My Ganeshotsav is Berlin's Ganeshotsav — and that is what makes it so meaningful.