This is the Recap of Pune Ganpati Photowalk with history. It was my first time hosting a meet up and I wanted everyone to know about my community culture. The idea was to visit some of the oldest and respected Ganpatis (elephant-headed Hindu god of beginnings, who is traditionally worshipped before any major enterprise and is the patron of intellectuals).
History
Lord Ganesha who is considered to be the God of wisdom and prosperity has been worshipped right from the Vedic times. Every religious ceremony is performed even today with invoking his blessings at the very beginning. Pune being the birthplace of Ganesh Festival, now celebrated all over India, has its own share of rich history. The city has the five Manache Ganpati — The respected and honored Ganpati idols at different places.
We met at the Kasba Ganpati, from there @PuneTraveler @Vinay_K @shreyasee and I started the photowalk.
First stop: Kasba Ganpati — कसबा गणपती ( मानाचा पहिला गणपती )
Kasba Ganpati is also known as city’s first deity. The Kasba Ganpati Mandal was established way back in 1893 when Lord Ganesha was recognised as a Gram Daivat or the presiding deity of a village, in this case, Punawadi. Thus, the Kasba temple befittingly earned the title of being ‘Manacha’ Pahila Ganpati or the most revered Ganpati in Pune. The Kasba Ganpati is given the first preference for the Ganpati idols immersion. The locals believe that it was Jijabai Bhosale, Shivaji’s mother, who commissioned the Kasba temple.
Next: Tambdi Jogeshwari — तांबडी जोगेशवरी ( मानाचा दूसरा गणपती )
The Tambdi Jogeshwari Temple was constructed in the 15th century. The temple gets its name from the idol of Lord Ganesha being red in colour (tambdi). Historical records reveal that the Peshwas used to seek blessings from the Tambdi Jogeshwari Temple goddess before embarking on a new mission. Every year, the Ganesh idol of the Tambdi Jogeshwari Temple mandal is immersed and a new replica is made for the following year. DM Gulunjkar is a well-known artist from Pune who has sculpted the idol since its beginning. This legacy is now carried forward by the fourth generation of the Gulunjkar family.
Next to: Guruji Talim — गुरुजी तालीम ( मानाचा तिसरा गणपती )
Guruji Talim Ganpati is the third most revered Ganpati in Pune which was established by two Hindu and Muslim families of Bhiku Shinde and Ustaad Nalban. The mandal played a key role in spreading the message of communal harmony much before Lokmanya Tilak initiated the tradition in 1893. Well, more than 10kgs of gold are used to decorate the idol.
Then: Tulshibaug Ganpati — तुळशीबाग गणपती ( मानाचा चौथा गणपती )
Tulshibaug Ganpati is the 4th respected Ganpati in Pune. It was first established in 1901. This mandal holds the honor of establishing the first Glass Fiber statue since 1975. It is located in the heart and the most crowded part of the city. The Ganpati idol over here is coated with 125kg of silver. Standing tall at 15ft, this is the largest Ganpati idol in Pune.
And then: Kesari Wada Ganpati — केसरीवाडा गणपती ( मानाचा पाचवा गणपती )
Kesari Wada Ganpati is the 5th most honorable Ganpati in Pune which was installed by freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak himself in 1893 at his own house Kesari Wada thereby named as Kesari Wada Ganpati. He made it an official public festival by forming Ganesh Mandal known as Kesari Wada Ganapati Mandal in 1893. The mandal is unique as it has two huge Ganpati idols along with an idol of Lokmanya Tilak. The paintings in the mandal depict scenes from the life of Lokmanya Tilak. Like the first two Ganpati’s, Kasba and Tambdi Jogeshwari, the Kesari Wada Ganpati also has the honour of a palkhi (palanquin).
And Later Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Mandal, Jilbya Maruti Ganpati Mandir, Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati are few of the popular Ganpati’s that we visited.
As we had long walk, we had some delicacies on the way. Modak is an Indian sweet popular in many parts of India. The sweet filling on the inside of a modak consists of freshly grated coconut and jaggery while the outer soft shell is made from rice flour or wheat flour mixed with khava or maida flour.
I want to thank my fellow local guides Vinay ( @Vinay_K ),Shreyasee ( @shreyasee ), Kushal ( @PuneTraveler) for making this meet-up successful! And I would like to thank Shruti mam ( @Shrut19 ) for supporting me. I am more excited than ever to host another meet-up and meet with more local guides from Pune.
You can find more pictures in our PhotoAlbum and **List **of places visited.
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Collaborated by @TravellerG and Team
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Rohit Wadke,
Local Guide from Pune, India
