Five ‘most revered, sacred’ Ganesha idols on every pandal hopper’s list

These five idols were the first to be honoured by freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak, the pioneer of Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav.

The first manache, or revered Ganpati idol, is the Kasba Ganpati in Kasba Peth. Its history dates back to when a young Shivaji and his mother Jijabai came to Pune in 1630. An idol of Ganesha, considered the graam devta of Pune, was found near the house of Vinayak Thakar, who resided near Queen Jijabai.

The first manache, or revered Ganpati idol, is Kasba Ganpati; (Express)

Shri Tambdi Jogeshwari is second in line

Guruji Talim, third in line

A Ganpati temple was subsequently commissioned by the queen in 1639 and this idol became the first to be honoured by Tilak when he initiated Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav, and is therefore, the presiding deity in Pune. It is also the first of the five ‘Manache Ganpati’ to be immersed after which the others follow suit.

“This year, we have designed a gaj mahal for the idol to be placed in, the pillars around the idol are made of fibre glass and adorned with elephant heads,” says Girish Kolapkar, an art director who has been designing the Kasba pandal for over 10 years.

The material used for the pandal is reusable, adds Kolapkar. For the visarjan ritual, a smaller idol made of shaadu maati is immersed in a tank.

“We were the first to start immersing our idol in a tank instead of the river and have been doing so for over five years,” he says. To stay true to parampara or tradition, the idol is carried in a palkhi on the shoulders of the men.

“We don’t ask for sponsorship or funding, we work entirely with the money obtained in the daan peti,” Kolapkar says. He adds that this is the first idol that the devotees visit before they proceed to seek blessings from other idols.

Shri Tambdi Jogeshwari in Appa Balwant Chowk is second in line. While Ganesha was worshipped as graam devta, Jogeshwari was considered to be the graam devi, believed to be the goddess who would protect villagers from evil forces.

When Tilak initiated Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav, after honouring Kasba Ganpati, he established a Ganesha idol in the Tambdi Jogeshwari temple, making it the second manache.

Funded by the Shri Tambdi Jogeshwari Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, the idol has been designed by artist D M Gulunjkar since its inception and the fourth generation of the clan now carries out the preparations.

“This year, the idol will be seated in a mayur mahal and two fibre glass peacocks will adorn Ganesha’s throne,” says trustee Prashant Tikar. The idol is constructed using shaadu maati and is shastra shuddh, which means ‘in line with tradition’.

Each year, the idol is carried on a silver rath and immersed at Nageshwar Ghat and a replica is made for the following year. “We do not digress from traditional rituals during visarjan miravnuk. There are no DJs, only authentic dhol tasha, nagada and band pathaks. Last year, a group of Assamese students from Symbiosis College had performed,” Tikar says.

Guruji Talim on Laxmi Road may be considered the third ‘Manache Ganpati’, but it is the oldest of the five. What sets it apart, however, is that it was established by Hindu and Muslim families and is the only one-of-its-kind in Maharashtra. Set up by Bhiku Pandurang Shinde, Nanasaheb Khasgiwale and Sheikh Lalabhai in 1887, the Talim advocated the message of communal unity and harmony over a century ago.

“We stopped taking vargani 33 years ago and were the first to do so,” says Praveen Pardeshi, head of Guruji Talim Mandal, adding, “this year, the theme is Bahubali mahal.”

Tulsibaug Ganpati is the fourth ‘Manache Ganpati’, with the mandal being established in 1901 by Aba Khatavkar, Sadashiv Pawar and Boloba Walke. “Our main idol is made of fibre glass and is 14 feet tall. The idol is adorned with silver ornaments,” says Subhash Pawar, management head of Sri Tulsibaug Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal. Tulsibaug is the pioneer of large-sized idols in Pune.

The fifth and final, Kesariwada Ganpati in Narayan Peth was established in 1894 by Tilak. “We stay true to tradition and have minimal decorations,” says Anil Sakpal, secretary of Kesarimarathe Trust and Ganpati Mandal, adding that they use an eco-friendly shaadu maati every year.

“What sets us apart is the cultural and educational programmes we organise during each evening of Ganeshotsav,” he says. This year too, they have a number of different cultural events lined up.

“For the last four days of the festival, we make a motichoor laddu weighing 25 kg. After offering it to the deity, we break it and distribute it as prasad,” he adds.