Celebrating Ganesh fete the Marathi way

Secunderabad: Going back to the roots, the association between Maharashtra and Ganehsotsav finds further fervour in how Ganesh Chaturthi became popular in the 19th century after a public appeal by the Indian freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak, who championed it as a means to circumvent the colonial British government ban on Hindu gatherings through its anti-public assembly legislation in 1892.

Speaking about Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, a few Maharashtrian communities residing in Hyderabad shared their experience. Akhilesh Washikar, one of the founders of Mitraangan, a Marathi community group from Badichowdi in Kacheguda shares, "Hyderabad is a city of mixed cultures where Maharashtrians are also a part of it. Hyderabad gives shelter to more than seven lakh Maharashtrians, where many of them reside from generations and some got migrated from Maharashtra."

He further added, "Ganesh Chaturthi is something which we all Marathis adore a lot and we wanted a community where all can gather and celebrate it like it is done back in Maharashtra. We started Mitraangan along with my two friends Ambarish and Ashutosh to make a Marathi community. We worked towards making all of them feel that yes we never miss Maharashtra."

The group is celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi in Marathi style for the last eight years and four years back Akhilesh and his friends have gathered a bunch of enthusiastic techies and formed the first Maharashtrian Dhol Pathak in Hyderabad and have also been performing in front of Khairatabad Ganesh for the last two years.

The group gathers every Sunday and practice for four hours, months before Ganesh Chaturthi. Ritesh Joshi from Krishnapuri Colony in West Marredpally who is celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi in authentic Maharashtrian style in their colony for the last 22 years shares, "My mom was the pioneer in starting Ganesh Chaturthi in our colony as she was very excited about celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi and wanted to show her next generation (me, my cousins and my friends) how Marathi people celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, but at home, my family has a long-running tradition of immersion the idol on the 3rd day to make space for Mahalakshmi Pooja. So, in 1997 she decided to have a Sarvajanik (for public) Ganesh Utsav so that we can host it and conduct it in the same festive spirit as Maharashtra."

He further adds, "She started it back in 1997 and as we grew older, we took over the tradition forward. She still guides us and also assists us in arrangements and decoration. Nearby Marathi families as well as non-Marathi families come every day for aarti and pooja and witness the Marathi way of celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi."