All About The Biggest Festival In Maharashtra

The festival, which falls in the Bhadrapada month of the Hindu calendar, marks the birthday of Lord Ganesha, son of Shiva and Parvati. The first day of the festivities begin with prayers to the elephant-headed god, who is offered various delicacies as?prasad.

Prayers are offered on a daily basis for the ten days that follow, until the immersion. However, this large-scale celebration that Maharashtra (and now even parts of Telangana and Goa) witnesses, has a significant place in Indian history.

In 1892, the first public Ganesha idol was installed in Pune, on Laxmi Road. Social reformer and freedom fighter Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak saw in it an opportunity to unite people in the time of India’s struggle for independence. In 1893, he published the idea of a public Ganesh Chaturthi celebration in his Marathi daily, Kesari. This event brought together people from all walks of life on an equal platform and united them to fight for the freedom movement. Ever since, Ganesh Chaturthi has been a festival of large-scale public gathering and is being celebrated till date with ever increasing enthusiasm.

The most interesting thing to do during this 10-day festival is?pandal?hopping. There is no dearth of?pandals?in Pune or Mumbai during this period and some?pandals?are more famous than others for their historical significance and the type of Ganesha idols they house. People offer several delicacies to Ganesha idols such as?modaks?(sweet dumplings stuffed with jaggery, rice flour and coconut) and?laddoos.

Here are a few that you shoud not miss.

Dagdusheth Sarvajanik Halwai, Pune

Situated on Laxmi Road in Pune, this?pandal?(or rather the temple) is where the idea of a public Ganesh festival struck Balgangadhar Tilak. The Ganesha idol here is one of the most revered ones in the world. During Ganesh Chaturthi, particularly, celebrations here retain their nostalgic charm and lakhs of devotees from all over Maharashtra and the rest of the country visit this?pandal?to celebrate Ganeshotsav every year.

Shri Kasba?Ganapati Pandal, Pune

Established during the early 1890s, Shri Kasba Ganapati soon after became the most sought after?pandal?in Pune. Recognised for its elaborate and thematic decorations, this?pandal?is a massive crowd puller during the auspicious celebrations. One of the most fascinating elements of this particular?pandal’s?celebrations lies in the custom of devoting one day of the 10 to the women of the community. This isn’t where the?pandal?ceases to distinguish itself – it has further been leading the Ganesh immersion processions in Pune since 1894.

Shri Tulsibaug Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Pandal, Pune

The Ganesh idol at this?pandal?is 14-feet-high and is very popular amongst the thousands of devotees that throng here, during the festival. Located in the Budhwar Peth area of Pune, the?pandal?is known for its disciplined procession and rituals, unlike most?pandals?in the city.

Lalbaugcha Raja, Mumbai

Being the most visited?pandal?in Mumbai comes with a massive legacy for the Lalbaugcha Raja, famous for its much acclaimed Ganesha statue. The King of Lalbaug (the area in which the?pandal?is located) has been a favourite amongst most devotees in the city.

Established in 1934, this?pandal?has been drawing a massive gathering of believers every year, owing also to the Kambli Family of Kambli Arts for creating the most picturesque, now patent protected, idols since 1935. The idol here is rumoured to have mystical powers when it comes to fulfilling prayers, hence attracts close to 1.5 million faithful followers during the 10 days.

Ganesh Galli Mumbaicha Raja, Mumbai

Located close to Lalbaugcha Raja, the Mumbaicha Raja pandal is popular as well. The pandal’s structure replicates a different tourist destination or historical monument in the country, every year. The Mumbaicha Raja pandal was established in 1928 for the benefit of mill workers in the nearby areas, hence becoming one of the oldest and widely-popular pandals in the city.

Khetwadi Ganraj, Mumbai

This relatively new pandal was founded in 1959, but only caught the attention of the masses in 2000, for having the highest idol in India. Standing 40 feet tall, the idol is covered in gold jewellery, and one particular year also saw the idol adorned with real diamonds. The area (Khetwadi), as a whole, boasts of having a Ganesha idol in practically every lane.

GSB Samaj Ganeshotsav, Mumbai

The Goud Saraswat Brahmin Samaj Ganeshotsav located in King’s Circle, Sion, is arguably the richest Ganesh pandal in Mumbai. The idol here wears a 22-carat gold crown and is adorned in original gold jewellery.

At the culmination of the 10-day-long festival, the idols of Ganesha are taken to nearby water bodies and immersed. People continue to exhibit euphoric energy levels even at this stage as they bid farewell to the idols by yelling ‘Ganpati bappa Morya, pudchya varshi lavkar ya’ (meaning Lord Ganpati please bless us and come back next year).