RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL, February 19, 2009: Ganesh, Durga and Surya will form part of a carnival float that will roll through the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city on Saturday night. The float is being presented by Samba Club Perola Negra (Black Pearl), and its theme is “Guided by Surya, journeying through India in quest of a sacred pearl”.
According to the samba club’s website, the story is about a person who in a dream is transported to India and awakens in a lotus garden, where he is greeted by Lord Ganesh, the “Hindu God whose blessings are invoked at the beginning of any journey.” The Elephant God emerges from a lotus and sends the person on a mission to find the sacred pearl of divine love. First, though, he has to meet the Sun God Surya and seek his help.