A Banana Tree in a Sari
Before the sun clears the Ganga on Mahasaptami, women carry a banana plant to the riverbank, bathe it in the water, wrap it in a white sari with a red border, and bring it back to the pandal to stand beside Ganesha. The crowd calls her Kola Bou, the banana bride. Many assume she is Ganesha's wife, brought in as a consort to complete the family tableau. Priests who know the rite say nothing to correct this, because the correction would take longer than the morning allows.
