Written by Vansh Chauhan In 1894, nationalist Bal Gangadhar Tilak started the tradition of Ganeshotsav, transforming what was once a one-day, private celebration of Lord Ganesh into a community festival, to fuel Indians’ discontent against the British. But very few people know that the first Ganeshotsav was held in Pune. In fact, Vinchurkar Wada in Sadashiv Peth, the historic venue where Tilak’s Ganeshotsav was first held, does not even exist anymore. In its place is a six-storey building that is a mix of shops and residences. The modern structure, however, still pays homage to its link to the past with a grand hall on the first floor dedicated to the wada’s history. “Sardar Vinchurkar Wada was one of the several Peshwa mansions in Pune on Kumthekar Road. Tilak lived here for 14 years, from 1891 to 1905,” Suprasad Puranik, a historian from Pune and an author, tells The Indian Express. “He used to take law classes here. Hence, the Ganpati of Vinchurkar Wada was known as ‘Law class Ganpati’. Tilak left Vinchurkar Wada and shifted to Sardar Gaikwad Wada (today’s Kesari Wada or Tilak Wada) in 1905. Later, this Ganpati was named Kesariwada Ganpati,” he adds. Puranik says that Tilak used to conduct lectures in front of the Ganpati in Vinchurkar Wada. “In 1895, Tilak gave a lecture on 'Two great men of Mahabharata' here. Between 1894 and 1904, many great personalities like S M Paranjpe (founder of the weekly Kaal), Narasimha Chintaman Kelkar (nationalist writer and editor), popular as Sahityasamrat Tatyasaheb Kelkar, and Chintamanrao Vaidya delivered lectures near the Ganpati here,” he says. In 1961, when the Panshet Dam burst, leading to a flood in Pune, the cleaning operations were accelerated from Vinchurkar Wada under the guidance of Appasaheb Patwardhan, also known as the ‘Father of Sanitation’ and Konkan Gandhi. Vinchurkar Wada later became known for a range of initiatives initiated by Gandhi; storytelling sessions by Pandurang Sadashiv Sane, also known as Sane Guruji; and the prohibition movement, among others. The foundation of all these activities was the first established Ganeshotsav in this wada. In 1974, it was a centre of Jayaprakash Narayan’s anti-corruption movement as well as the resistance to the Emergency in 1975. “Vinchurkar Wada was also the spot of the historic meeting between Swami Vivekananda and Lokmanya Tilak in June 1892. For a few days, Swami Vivekananda rested here. This was also the location of Kesari and Maratha’s initial offices. Many politicians, social activists, and honourable individuals enjoyed this lavish mansion,” says Puranik. Vinchurkar Wada was sold to a construction company in 2011. “Ganeshotsav is still celebrated every year in a hall in the newly constructed structure. Pictures and information boards about Ganpati and Lokmanya Tilak have been installed in the auditorium. Many photographs of this wada are still available on the internet. A photograph of this wada is also displayed at the Lokmanya Tilak museum at Kesari Wada,” he adds.
