The Maharashtrian community in Hyderabad is celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi with great enthusiasm. They are welcoming Lord Ganesh, also known as Bappa, with the traditional musical instrument called Dhol Tasha. The members of the Maharashtrian Dhol Tasha Pathak are ready to showcase their skills by performing at various Ganesh pandals in the city.
The Marathi families in Hyderabad/Secunderabad are concentrated in areas like Shalibanda, Karwan, Gowliguda, Sultan Bazar, Kachiguda, Barkatpura, Meerpet, Hitech City, Manikonda, Gachibowli, Miyapur, Kompally, ECIL, and Uppal. They continue to preserve their age-old traditions and warmly welcome Ganesh idols at the pandals. In recent years, they have also promoted eco-friendly idols and organized eco-conscious immersion ceremonies.
Anand Kulkarni, president of Maharashtra Mandal, a Marathi association in Ramkoti, mentioned that they have been celebrating Ganesh puja for the past 74 years in the same way it is celebrated in Maharashtra. They welcome Lord Ganesh with Dhol Tasha and Lezim, and their idol is always eco-friendly. They also organize a cultural program for seven days, ending with the immersion of the idol in an artificial pond at their campus in Ramkoti.
Ambarish Lahankar, founder of Mitraangan – Maharashtrian of Hyderabad, expressed that the Dhol Tasha instrument is admired by everyone. Their organization, Maharashtrian Dhol Tasha Pathak, has been performing at various platforms to render musical service to Lord Ganesh. They have also performed in front of Khairatabad Ganesh in the past years and will do so again this year.
Captain Lele, a member of the Health League, shared that they have been celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi in a traditional manner for the past 79 years. This year, their theme is Chandrayaan-3, as a tribute to one of the significant achievements of our country. They welcome Lord Ganesh with Pran Prathisthapana pooja and play traditional Maharashtrian lexims and Marathi Dhol Tasha, which are popular instruments during the festival.
