This Ganeshotsav, mandals in Pune aiming for 10 days of social work

From keeping up the traditional fervour to spreading awareness about social issues, various Ganpati mandals across the city are showcasing their best this Ganeshotsav. While the actual Ganesh festival lasts for just 10 days, for some mandals social work continues throughout the year. HT went around the city to various Ganpati mandals to understand the need to emphasise on social issues and to know more about their festival plans this year.

10 days, 10 social initiatives at Seva Mitra Mandal, Shukrawar peth 

This Ganeshotsav, Seva Mitra Mandal with be taking up 10 social initiatives over the 10 days of the festival. This mandal is known for its social themes which it has been taking up since the past 53 years. This year, the theme for the mandal is ‘increasing competition and decreasing conversation between youths’. The mandal has been awarded for its various initiatives which it undertakes throughout the year, like in May the mandal organised a two-day trip for orphans to the mandal.

“This year, we have planned ten social activities which will help residents of our area. On the first day, the Ganpati puja was performed and from the second day of the festival, we started undertaking social activities. On September 3, we organised the ‘Dhanya Tula’ (weighing a person on one side of the measuring scale and on the other side, grains of the same weight are kept) of five prominent persons from Pune. A of total 1,000kg of grains was donated to various orphanages. We also collected old newspapers from residents. We will be conducting a demonstration class of on making paper bags. The money collected by selling these paper bags will be given to an orphanage,” said mandal president advocate Shirish Mohite. 

On September 7, a tree plantation drive will be undertaken in the nearby areas of the mandal. “We are going to plant only ten trees and for the next two years, our volunteers will take care of it. On September 10, our mandal volunteers along with two plumbers will visit every household in Shukrawar peth area and at our own expense, repair taps and other items,” added Mohite. 

Crossing borders and boundaries at Adarsh Mitra Mandal, Dhankawadi 

The Adarsh Mitra mandal in Dhankawadi crossed the city limits and started various social programmes in Gadchiroli district since the last four years. Every month, volunteers from the mandal go to Gadchiroli district along with the Maharashtra police officials and the local district administration. The mandal has helped in the rehabilitation of 28 prisoners after they completed their jail term and gave them jobs according to their qualification. 

“Few years ago, we heard about a Naxalite been caught in the city. We decided to do something about people living in areas affected by Naxalism. So, first we went to Gadchiroli and identified children whose parents were killed by Naxalites and children of Naxalites who were killed by the police. Under the ‘Agni Pankh’ project with the state police, till now we have adopted 150 such children and given them educational scholarship and also bicycles,” said mandal’s executive president Uday Jagtap. 

A sports library has also been started in Dhankawadi area by the mandal and the rent for students is just Rs 1 for three days.

“Another initiative started by the mandal is the ‘Bhagini Helpline’ service for women, so that they can report eve-teasing or molestation incidents. Till now we have given help to more than 8,000 schoolgirls and women through this helpline with the help of Pune police and the legal team of our mandal,” said mandal’s president Vinod Pardeshi. 

This year, the mandal has cancelled all celebrations and all the money collected from the public will be utilised to send five boats to five flood-affected villages in Sangli and Kolhapur.