Pune: Around 45 soldiers undergoing treatment and rehabilitation at the Paraplegic Rehabilitation Centre (PRC) in Khadki experienced the aarti of Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati through virtual reality (VR) technology, allowing them to participate in the festival despite being unable to visit the temple physically.
The initiative, facilitated by the Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganpati Trust and Pune-based technology company Qubit, enabled the soldiers to experience the aarti through advanced VR headsets. The 360-degree immersive experience gave participants a sense of being present before the deity amid the Ganeshotsav celebrations.
While speaking to The Free Press Journal, Dr (Colonel) RK Mukherjee, Medical Director of the PRC, who was present during the initiative, appreciated the effort.
“It’s an honour for me and the inmates here to experience this VR technology. It gave them a live experience and the feeling of being there. The PRC is grateful to the team that thought of this and gave the inmates this wonderful experience,” he said.
He added that the large crowds at Dagdusheth Ganpati make it difficult for soldiers at the centre to visit the temple.
“There is a huge crowd at Dagdusheth Ganpati, but through this VR, we got the experience of being there and seeking the blessings of Ganpati Bappa. The inmates here are very happy and feel blessed. They cannot step out or be in a crowd, so this was a wonderful experience and opportunity for all of them,” Mukherjee said.
The soldiers also expressed happiness at being able to virtually participate in the aarti.
One soldier said, “I felt very blessed after experiencing the aarti through the VR headset. We could not physically go there, but for those few moments, it felt as if we were actually in front of Bappa.”
Another soldier said, “It was a very happy and special experience for us. Since we cannot walk and visit such crowded places, getting this opportunity to experience the aarti was wonderful.”
Shalvi Parge of Qubit said, “Ganeshotsav is a time when people come together to seek Bappa’s blessings, and we wanted to ensure that those who cannot physically be present are not left out of this experience. The response from the soldiers at PRC was deeply encouraging. It is extremely satisfying to see technology being used to create an emotional and spiritual connection and bring the aarti closer to people.”
Qubit has been creating the VR experience of the Dagdusheth Ganpati Trust for the past 10 years, making this the 11th year of the initiative. Specialised 360-degree cameras record the aarti performed on the first day of the Ganesh festival, with the footage later converted into a VR application.
