Ganeshotsav is a ten-day Hindu festival honouring Lord Ganesh and, alongside him, his mother Goddess Parvati. But it has always been about more than devotion. From the Maratha courts of the 17th century to public streets in Berlin today, it has served as a bridge across caste, class, and continent.
Royal patronage and colonial silence
Public celebration of the festival dates back to King Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Empire in the 17th century. Under British colonial rule, the festival lost official support and retreated into private family observance in Maharashtra.
Tilak's revival, 1893
The revival came under Lokmanya Tilak, the freedom fighter and social reformer. Tilak saw that the festival could unite people across religion, caste, and class — and turned it into a political rallying point. What had been a private ritual became a public one, held in the open, and used to organise the masses toward independence.
Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it.
Resistance and persistence
British authorities recognised the threat and imprisoned Tilak, banned melas, and censored devotional songs. It did not stop the celebrations in Mumbai. The festival had already become a public habit — and habits are hard to ban.
After independence: a wider stage
After 1947, Ganeshotsav kept its social role but added a cultural one. Elaborate processions, dance, music, and neighbourhood pandals became the norm. Many festival committees also began running medical camps, food drives, and educational support — pairing devotion with community service.
The dhol-tasha revolution
In the 1970s, Jnana Prabodhini in Pune founded the first Dhol-Tasha Pathaks, aiming to bring discipline back into the immersion processions. Schools like Vimalabai Garware, NuMaVi, and Ramanbaug followed. Today the pathaks are a defining part of the sound of Ganeshotsav — hundreds of drummers moving in exact synchronisation.
Kasba Ganpati, and Berlin
Kasba Ganpati in Pune, built in 1639 by Jijabai, is the oldest temple in the city and has led the annual procession every year since 1893. In 2022, for the first time in history, a replica of the Shri Kasba idol travelled from Pune to Berlin. Since then, a public ten-day Ganeshotsav has taken place here every year — the first of its kind anywhere in Europe.
The purpose of the festival, then and now
To bring people together — Indians, and anyone drawn to Indian culture — around one open, inclusive celebration.
Written by Anand Deshpande. German translation by Prajkta Lakhe.