Sunday mornings are typically spent in the laziest of moods but today was totally different. A bunch of us were up, bright and early and ready to head to Basavangudi - all for a Housewarming Pooja of one of our clients. The home so to speak is an apartment building shared between 3 families. While the interiors differ from floor to floor, on the outside several elements tie the whole built form together.
The days leading up to the Pooja had been action packed to say the least - both in office and on site. We pushed ourselves, excelling in some aspects, falling short in some too. But all shortcomings were forgotten when we were greeted with beaming smiles at the entrance of the home. The little Ganesha that we had presented to them as a souvenir was also seated near the entrance (Curious about the souvenir? Know all about it here) . As the God of auspicious beginnings and Remover of obstacles, the occasion and the placement felt just right. We were treated to some sumptuous breakfast and given offerings in the form of prasad. After that we went around the entire building, as a pooja had been conducted on three different floors as well - one for each of the families. As we stopped at each floor, taking our time at each level, we even had our client's joking around about how even today the agenda of going around the house was to generate a task list for the pending works. Being there today, the happiness, the vibrancy, it was all rather magical. This is what the job is all about right - at the end of the day its not the drawings or the renders or the details, it's all about the people who would spend their lives in that home. Many years down the line, I may not remember much about this particular project but its certainly going to be hard to lose the memories of all the smiling faces I encountered today!
-Mannat