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Kanpur, 09 September (HS). Ganesh Mahotsav, which started with the inspiration of freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak, is being celebrated not only in Maharashtra but all over the country. These days, the echo of Ganesh Mahotsav is being heard everywhere in Kanpur, but the influence of North India is clearly visible in the tradition, customs and worship method. The Ganesh Mahotsav of Maharashtra Mandal located at Khalasi Line in Kanpur is still number one in maintaining its identity. Here Ganesh Mahotsav is being celebrated with Marathi tradition, customs and culture. People associated with Maharashtra Mandal believe that this festival is considered a mixture of simplicity and pomp and show.
It is worth mentioning that the history of Ganesh festival in the city is hundreds of years old. The credit for starting this tradition in the city also goes to Maharashtra Mandal. In 1919, a few Marathi families living in the city started it with Ganesh installation. This tradition which has been going on since 1919 is not very popular but it is probably the only Ganesh festival committee of the city which worships them according to Marathi customs. However, with time, the colors and styles of Ganesh festival kept changing. The idols of Ganpati Bappa, who used to depart in a palanquin, now go for immersion seated on a high-tech chariot. Earlier, where a few Maharashtrian families used to celebrate Ganesh festival in their homes, now the idols of Ganpati Bappa are seated in every street. Ganesh festival has spread so much in Kanpur that if it is called 'Mini Mumbai', it will not be an exaggeration.
Ganesh Utsav Samiti was established in 1919
Former president of Maharashtra Mandal, Dr. Haribhau Khandekar, told on Monday that the history of Ganapati installation in Marathi community is very old. In 1892, Bal Gangadhar Tilak from Pune had announced the public Ganesh festival. At that time, only a few Marathi families lived in Kanpur. Ganesh festival was celebrated in the Ganesh temple of Bithoor, but it was not widespread. In 1919, about 20-25 Marathi families established Ganesh Utsav Samiti and installed Ganesh in their homes. A few years later, some Marathi teachers and students of the Textile Institute also joined this committee and started celebrating the festival on a large scale. To provide a platform to the talents of the youth, many cultural, colourful, lecture etc. programs were organized in this festival for 11 days. In 1924, the name of Ganesh Utsav Samiti was changed to Maharashtra Mandal. In 1939, Maharashtra Mandal was established in Khalasi Line.
Dr. Khandekar told that since the literacy rate in Maharashtra was high, many big Marathi officers, officials in education, medical, administrative, entrepreneurs came forward due to this. The number of Marathi families increased in Chakeri Air Force, IIT, Bithoor, Anwarganj, Khalasi Line, Koparganj areas. Many people joined the Mandal. Gradually Ganeshotsav started expanding. Earlier, two idols of Ganpati used to come from Pune for the Ganesh Mahotsav of Maharashtra Mandal. Gopal Rao Patwardhan, the Chief Executive of the then UP Sales, used to order these idols. There was one Shobha Murti and one for worship. After installation, the idol was immersed from a palanquin. A procession was taken out. Wherever the procession passed, people used to perform aarti there, then the culture of throwing colors on each other during immersion had not spread.