Ganesh utsav

In the autumn of 1977, a group of passionate youths in the neighborhood gathered under the shade of a street lamp. Bound by reverence for the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the unifying spirit of Lokmanya Tilak’s vision, they resolved to bring the community together. That year, with limited funds, handwritten donation slips, and simple bamboo scaffolding, Shiv Chhatrapati Ganesh Mandal celebrated its very first Ganesh Utsav. The small clay idol of Bappa sat on a modest wooden stage, yet the energy was undeniable. Drums echoed through the alley, saffron flags fluttered in the monsoon breeze, and neighbors who barely spoke during the year came together to prepare the aarti and distribute prasad.

Kind

Story

Place

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Art

The Art of Memory (Dhāraṇā-mātṛkā) · Kala 62

Contributed by

Recorded, name withheld by the contributor

Submitted

17 September 2026

Accepted

17 September 2026