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The Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati Trust's Ganesh idol was installed at Varad Vighneshwar Wada on Saturday, in the presence of thousands of devotees, amid much fanfare.
Famous singer and Padma Shri awardee Kailash Kher led the installation at around 12:45pm, with chants hailing the deity. The idol was brought to the venue in a grand procession accompanied by Dhol-Tasha Pathaks, with thousands of Ganesh devotees participating.
Trust Celebration Chief and Trustee Punit Balan, along with Janhavi Dhariwal Balan, worshipped Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati and performed the 'Aarti' at around 8:15am.
Following this, the group ‘Shikhandi,’ comprising transgenders, performed a 'Gajar' (a type of chanting) for 10 minutes, creating a devotional atmosphere at the Bhavan. The Bappa’s procession then began in a chariot adorned with various coloured roses. As the procession reached Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Road, large crowds gathered to witness Dhol-Tasha Pathaks and traditional games demonstrated by the 'Shri Shivajiraje Mardani Akhada' team at various chowks.
This year marks the 133rd celebration of the public festival. For the first time in the event’s history, the tradition of using bullocks to pull the Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati Bappa’s chariot was discontinued. Instead, it was pulled by mandal office-bearers, workers, and the Balans.
The procession returned to Varad Vighneshwar Wada via Budhwar Chowk, Tambdi Jogeshwari Mandir, Appa Balwant Chowk, and Bajirao Road, where the idol was installed with traditional rituals led by Kailash Kher. Punit Balan and Janhavi Dhariwal-Balan performed the 'Aarti,' followed by Kher singing a few of his popular songs upon the request of devotees, who cheered and applauded him.
Before the procession, traditional games like Lathi-Kathi were performed, and conches were blown. Seven Dhol-Tasha Pathaks, including Shivmudra, Vadyavrund, Manvandana, Shree, NuMaVi, Kalawant, and Shriram Pathaks, saluted in front of Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Bhavan, filling the city with the beats of Dhol-Tasha. Dignitaries from various fields attended, and the performance of 'Gajvandana,' by Padma Shri Kailash Kher and Punit Balan Studios, was screened during the event.
Punit Balan, Celebration Chief and Trustee, expressed, "Today is the happiest day we eagerly wait for. Bappa arrived in a devotional atmosphere, and we were honoured to have Kailash Kher install the idol. Various social and religious programs will be held during the festival, and we invite all devotees to come for Bappa's Darshan."
Kailash Kher shared his gratitude, stating, "It was a blessing to install the Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati idol. I prayed to Ganesha for a divine and spiritual motherland, to protect us from natural disasters, and to keep our country safe."
Meanwhile, on Sunday, several devotional events were held as part of the celebrations. The day began with the Abhishekam from 6:00 am to 11:00 am, followed by an Aarti by the Anpath Parivar at 8:00 am. At 9:00 am, Parivartan Sanstha organised a mass Atharvashirsha recitation by a group of women. Later in the morning, foreign students visited at 11:30 am. In the afternoon, Bhajani Mandal performed from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. The evening Aarti, held at 8:10 pm, was graced by prominent figures such as Sameer Pathak, CEO of Mahindra & Mahindra and Global Chess League, Ajay Buwa Ramdasi, and famous Hindi actress Isha Talwar of Mirzapur fame.
