For the second consecutive year, Ganeshotsav will be celebrated in the Kashmir Valley, often referred to as India's paradise. This year, the festivities will take place at three locations, with seven prominent Ganesh mandals from Pune handing over the idols to the organizers on Saturday (Aug 31).
The seven mandals include Kasba Ganpati, Tambdi Jogeshwari, Guruji Taalim, Tulshidag Ganpati, Kesari Wada, Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati, and Akhil Mandai Mandal. Punit Balan, the festival coordinator and trustee of Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati Trust, shared this information.
"The public Ganeshotsav, which started in Pune, has now crossed the seven seas and is being celebrated in many parts of the world. However, in the Kashmir Valley, which is an integral part of India, the festival had not been celebrated for the past 34 years. Considering this, young entrepreneur Punit Balan took the initiative to revive the Ganesh Utsav in Kashmir," he said.
Last year, a one-and-a-half-day Ganesh Utsav was celebrated with great enthusiasm at the Ganpatiyar Temple in Lal Chowk, Srinagar. This year, the festivities will be held for five days in Kupwara and Anantnag as well. In the first year, the idol of Kasba Ganpati, the first among the seven mandals, was installed. This year, the idols of Tambdi Jogeshwari, Guruji Taalim, and Tulshidag Ganpati will be handed over to the organizers in Kashmir.
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The program to present these idols to the three mandals in Kashmir has been scheduled for the upcoming Saturday, Balan informed.