Historic colours

Walking into house no. 277-A,in Somwar Peth,you are instantly transported to an era where the old city had not lost its charm...

Walking into house no. 277-A,in Somwar Peth,you are instantly transported to an era where the old city had not lost its charm,and the fervour associated with the Ganeshotsav had political and socio-economical undercurrents. The Tarawade Ganpati,established in the year 1893 at the residence of freedom fighter and social worker Bandoba Malharrao Tarawade,by Lokmanya Tilak himself,is typical of the time when the festival was just beginning.

Speaking about the Ganesh idol at their residence,Chandrakant Tarawade,the fourth generation Tarawade family member says that the idol was bought from the famous painter Bhausaheb Rangare back in 1893,by his great grandfather and was installed by Tilak,with whom he had closely worked during the early days of the freedom struggle. Over the ages,even though things have changed,the idol has still remained the same. The painters who have restored the idols details are the same and the priests who perform the daily Aartis have also not changed, he adds.

Adding to the story behind the idol,he says,The idol depicts Lord Ganesh killing the demons Khadya,Bodhlya and a third demon during the Great War fought between the gods and the demons. As a result of its unconventional design,the statue has become quite a hit with the younger generation,especially children,as the depiction of the Lord killing a demon symbolises the triumph of good over evil.

Laxman Saptarshi,the fourth generation priest who has been performing the annual rituals here says,My great grandfather was one of the first people who performed the rituals back then. Also,during the initial years of the festival,the procession was taken out in grand style and the Mandal would be located at the main Somwar Peth Chowk. However,over the years,things have changed and now the idol is installed within the premises of the house. However,the devotion of the local people who visit the place during the festival has remianed intact.

On future plans for the forgotten idol,Shriram Tarawade,the next generation would-be caretaker says,Some key joints of the idol need urgent attention; we also intend to construct a temple,so that the statue can be installed permanently for everyone to view and worship the year around. Amongst others,we also hope to set up a trust in the name of the original founder,Bandoba Tarawade. We dont expect anything from anyone,but we do know that if we set out to do something in the name of god,it usually works out.

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