How Mindy Kaling brought the Hindu tradition of Ganesh Puja to American TV
LOS ANGELES - On a balmy day last August, a rare production was unfolding on the grounds of Taft Charter High School in Woodland Hills.
Inside the school's gymnasium, marigolds and brass bells were in heavy supply; swaths of magenta, saffron and burgundy fabrics draped the walls; and garlands hung on a life-size idol of Lord Ganesh, the elephant-headed deity, that held court at the front of the room. The space would soon be filled with dozens of actors in shimmering saris and kurtas. Some would kneel, head to the ground, to portray the act of praying.
