Who really started Ganeshotsav in Pune?

The popular Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav of Pune has unfortunately found itself in the middle of a controversy over its origin. 

Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati Trust, which is an inseparable part of the city’s Ganeshotsav, has served a legal notice to the office bearers of Pune Municipal Corporation and Pune police commissioner, raising objection on money being spent by civic body to celebrate the 125th year of Pune’s Ganeshotsav. 

Pune mayor Mukta Tilak, who belongs to the family of Lokmanya Tilak, has announced the 125th year celebration of Ganeshotsav which has become part of Pune’s life. Tilak has supposedly taken a stand that Ganesohotsav was started by Lokmanya Tilak. 

The Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati Trust, through a legal notice, has maintained that the Ganeshotsav in Pune was started by Bhausaheb Rangari in 1892. Legal notice mentioned that Lokmanya Tilak installed the Sarvajanik Ganpati in 1894, two years after Bhausaheb Rangari started the festival. 

Through the legal notice issued by its lawyer advocate Milind Pawar, the trust has submitted a series of evidences, stating that Kesari, the Marathi newspaper launched by Lokmanya Tilak, had also acknowledged it. The newspaper published a news item about it in it’s September 1893 issue, the notice stated. 

The notice stated that Lokmanya Tilak started Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav at Vinchurkar wada in 1894 and later in his house at Gaikwad wada in 1905. The trust said that it had been celebrating Ganeshotsav since 1892 for 126 years now without any break.The notice said, the current year which is being celebrated as the 125th year of Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav by PMC, is in fact 126th year of the celebration. 

It stated that the trust celebrated 125th year of Ganeshotsav last year. The notice also said that Lokmanya Tilak campaigned for Ganeshotsav and made it popular, but it was started by Bhausaheb Rangari. It has categorically stated that Bhausaheb Rangari was the real founder of Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav. 

“It is wrong and inappropriate to spend public money on such events by neglecting historical facts,” the notice stated. The trust urged through legal notice to avoid expenditure of public money on wrong history. It has asked government to appoint a committee of experts to find out historical facts and announce that Bhausaheb Rangari is the pioneer of Ganehsotsav. It has also demanded to include a lesson on Bhausaheb Rangari in school textbooks.

Who was Bhausaheb Rangari? 

Bhau Laxman Jawle, popularly known Bhausaheb Rangari, was born in Pune in 1851 and died in 1095. He was a freedom fighter. Trust claims that Bhausaheb Ganeshotsav as a mean to fight against British regime. He was among those, who attended the first meeting, held for the purpose. Bhausaheb Rangari started Ganeshotsav in 1892 in Budhwar Peth. Bhausaheb Rangari prepared a special chariot and Ganesh idol in 1892, which is still displayed by the trust. Idol shows that Ganesha is killing a demon, which is shown in the form of British regime. 

Bhausaheb Rangari Trust celebrates Ganeshotsav near Budhwar Chowk. It had organized an exhibition last year, displaying all historic documents to support its claim. 

*Mayor Mukta Tilak assured repsentatives of Ganesh Mandals that she would call a separate meeting to discuss the controversy whether current year of Ganeshotsav is 125th or 126. Tilak promised this at a meeting of representatives of Ganesh Mandals. The meeting was called by Pune Municipal Corporation, which is host of Ganeshotsav. 

A few representatives of Ganesh Mandals tried to raise the issue immediately after meeting began. Mayor said that municipal corporation has already made budgetary provision of ₹2 crore for 125th year of Ganeshotsav. 

Police commissioner Rashmi Shukla was also present at the meeting. Ganesh Mandal workers made forcefull demand that police should withdraw complaints filed against them in last year’s Ganeshotsav.