In view of the COVID-19 situation in Pune district, the renowned Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati temple, in a break with a 127-year-old tradition, will not hold public ceremonies during the Ganesh Chathurthi festival on August 22, members of the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Trust said on Monday.
The celebrations would be held inside the temple itself, Ashok Godse, president of the trust, said.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has cast its shadow over all festivities this year, be it the Pandharpur Wari or Eid. Likewise, we, too have decided to celebrate the Ganesha festival on the temple premises in an extremely simple manner, without pomp or ceremony. There will be an online facility for devotees to watch the daily aarti (ceremony),” Mr. Godse said, adding that public health was of paramount importance and it was vital to discourage large gatherings.
He further said that this year, the trust would not be constructing any replica of a historic Indian temple during the festivities.
Among Pune’s five ‘Manache Ganpati’ pandals, the Dagdusheth Halwai trust has a unique 77-year-old tradition of constructing a replica of an iconic Indian temple during the Ganesh festival, primarily to showcase India’s heritage and history through its temple architecture. The other four famous pandals, too, are likely to announce celebrations on a reduced scale.
Every year, a stately procession of the ‘Manache Ganpati’ idols queue up for immersion. The procession is led by Kasba Ganpati, which was established in 1893, followed by Tambadi Jogeshwari Ganpati, Guruji Talim Ganpati, Bhau Rangari, and Dagdusheth Ganpati.
The last time the city had witnessed muted Ganesha festivities was during the 2009 swine flu pandemic.
“Given that the index patients in the State were from Pune during the swine flu pandemic as well, the city had witnessed less than 50% participation in the festivities. Like today, there was a general feeling of fear and dread pervading the city at that time as well,” city-based political analyst and observer Rajendra Pandharpure told The Hindu.
Mr. Pandharpure said while there was a ray of hope among the big pandals in April that the COVID-19 situation might improve in August, that optimism had been dashed with the alarming spike in cases.
“The pandemic has had a profound socio-cultural impact on the Ganesh festivities, an important part of Pune’s social fabric. Given the massive economic downslide caused by the pandemic, the donation system — the very sustenance of these pandals — has completely collapsed as people struggle for survival,” Mr. Pandharpure said. The non-celebratory mood in the Peth area of ‘Old Pune’ — where the major Ganpati pandals are sited — has severely impacted a number of businesses dependent on the Ganesh festivities.
Mr. Pandharpure said in April-May, pandal managers were hoping that at the very least, the rate of infection would lessen in Pune.
“However, that has not happened with the city reporting more than 1,000 cases and the district an average 3,000 cases a day. Furthermore, there has been a breakdown in faith in the State health infrastructure. People do not have much hope in government health facilities. People in Peth are wary of stepping out given the prohibitive costs of treatment at private hospitals,” he said.
Earlier in June, the State government had decided to cancel the annual pilgrimage made on foot by lakhs of warkaris (devotees) to the temple town of Pandharpur, carrying palkhis (palanquins) bearing the padukas (footprints) of saints Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram. The step had been necessitated in the wake of surging cases not only in Pune, but in neighbouring Satara and Solapur as well.
However, in a bid to uphold the 800-year-old tradition of Ashadhi Wari, the authorities had permitted the padukas to be carried by road to Pandharpur in Solapur district.
