GANESHOTSAV WALKS GAIN POPULARITY

Locals and expats learn more about the festival and the city during this festive season.

As the celebrations of Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav reached their 125th year, it is evident from the trends that the festival has only grown bigger – from the staging of plays at pandals to the organization of photo walks. For Jayesh Paranjape, founder of Western Routes, a city-based travel company, the swelling demand to visit the five Manache Ganapati pandals led to the conceptualization of the Ganesh Festival Walk four years ago. It is now an annual tradition that takes participants on a guided walk through the old city, which is considered to be the heart of Ganeshotsav in Pune. “For those of us who live outside the old city, the Ganesh festival Is negatively associated with traffic and loud music, that is not what the festival stands for, and older pandals in the city, including Manache Ganapati, stay away from fanfare and traditionally celebrate the festival,” said Paranjape, who initiated the walk to re-introduce the residents of the city, both young and new, to how the traditional celebrations are held.

Apart from Western Routes, the Pune Expat Club, a city-based organization that arranges activities for the expat community also organizes a walk. “We started the walk five years ago so that our members could experience the true flavor of Ganeshotsav in the city. However, the walk has become so popular that there is increasing demand from the members themselves. They are inquisitive and want to know about the history and the many stories associated with the festival,” said Kajal Singh of the Club.

The Ganeshotsav walks conducted by Janwani Pune and Pune Heritage Club take participants on a tour of the old city, where they are introduced to the concept of Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav and its history. The participants are further guided to the Manache Paach (meaning ‘respected five’) Ganesh pandals – Dagduseth Halvai Ganapati, Akhil Mandai Ganapati, Kasba Ganapati, Jogeshwari, Guruji Talim and Babugenu, among others. Apart from visiting the pandals, participants are also encouraged to partake in the arti and puja conducted at the temples.

For 31-year-old Arun Kumar, who moved into the city last year, experiencing the Ganesh festival from a local perspective was a priority on his list. “A lot has been said about Ganeshotsav in Pune and I wanted to experience it firsthand,” said Kumar. A similar view was shared by Manoj Madne, who has lived in the city for 10 years and decided to venture into the heart of the city this year to experience the festival in its entirety. “I wanted to experience the festival rather than just witness it, but the festival walk gave me much more than that. It taught me about the culture of the city, and I met people who work without recognition during the festival. It has made me connect with the city profoundly,” said Madne.