31 years ago, Ganesha 'drank' milk and India went viral without social media
This piece reflects on the 1995 'milk miracle' in India, where Ganesha idols were reported to be drinking milk, spreading rapidly across the country without modern social media. It serves as a cultural retrospective on how information traveled in the pre-internet era.
Why it matters
It provides a historical perspective on mass hysteria and information dissemination before the digital age.
Thirty-one years ago, on September 21, 1995, I came home from school to find that something was strangely different. My aunt, who would diligently wait for me every day and was always the one to serve me lunch, was missing. She was more than just the person who fed me; she would sit with me, tell me interesting stories and make the afternoon feel special.I looked for her everywhere. Finally, the housemaid arrived with my plate of dal and rice and casually told me, “Didi has gone to feed milk to Lord Ganesha.”I was puzzled. What did she mean? After lunch, I called a friend from the landline. She had the same story. Her mother, too, was not at home.
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