Mumbai: The city's oldest community Ganeshotsav celebration at Keshavji Naik Chawl in Girgaon will celebrate Warli art, one of Maharashtra's most distinctive traditional art forms, during this year's festival beginning September 14.
The pandal, established in 1893 in response to a call by freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak, has traditionally kept simplicity and tradition at the heart of its celebrations.
Historic Mandal Continues Tradition While Embracing Change
“This Ganesh mandal is striking a balance between honouring tradition and embracing modern times,” said Kumar Walekar, secretary of the Shree Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Sanstha, which organises the festival.
The theme was selected after the organisers approached an artist from the Sir J J School of Art, Architecture and Design, who suggested Warli art. “This style is between 2,000 and 3,000 years old. There are very few artists who work with the art form,” Walekar said.
Warli Art Theme Highlights Maharashtra’s Ancient Tribal Heritage
Traditionally practised by women from the Warli tribal community of Palghar district, the art form uses rice paste, gum and water to create paintings on the mud walls of homes. Warli paintings are characterised by geometric forms such as lines, triangles and squares, which are used to depict scenes from everyday life and nature, including the sun, moon and trees.
Alongside the traditional theme, the mandal will organise lectures on artificial intelligence, drawing a connection with Lord Ganesh, who is worshipped as a symbol of wisdom. Residents with expertise in the technology will speak at the sessions. A lecture on Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is also planned.
Website Launch Planned To Connect Devotees Digitally
“The way we communicate has changed with technology. To make our festival more accessible, engaging and connected with devotees, we are launching our website. It is our attempt to blend tradition and culture with new means of interaction with devotees,” Walekar added.
Keshavji Naik Chawl was built as a cluster of four two-storey buildings between 1860 and 1862 by Keshavji Nayak, a shipowner, for his workers. The name underwent a change in spelling after the builder's death. A fifth building was added in 1925. Around 150 families currently live in the chawl.
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