Mumbai : Ganesh Festival Committees resolve to celebrate festival avoiding malpractices

Nij Bhadrapad Shukla 3, Kaliyug Varsha 5114

It is our duty to preserve our Dharma, traditions and culture through celebration of festivals – Mr. Ramesh Shinde

Inauguration of the program by lighting a Samai (an oil lamp)

Mr. Ramesh Shinde garlanding the statue of Shivaji Maharaj

Mumbai : ‘Ganeshotsava’ is a festival of enlightenment. Awareness should be created amongst Hindus on the occasion of this festival. It is also religious observance; therefore, it should be performed as per science. The festival should, therefore, be celebrated in ideal manner by avoiding malpractices like gambling, consumption of liquor in the pandals, noise pollution etc. It is our first duty to preserve our Dharma, traditions and culture through the medium of this festival. If one Committee sends good message to people preserving our Dharma, traditions and culture through this festival, other festival committees will also follow suit, stated Mr. Ramesh Shinde, the national spokesperson of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) on Sunday night when he addressed a gathering at Samajkalyan Hall, Ganesh Maidan, Parshiwadi, Ghatkopar (W) on the topic of ‘How to celebrate Ganesh festival in an ideal manner’. The program was organised by ‘Hindu Dharmaseva Pratishthan, Ghatkopar’ and Hindu Janajagruti Samiti for Ganesh festival committees in the area. The program was attended by more than 11 Ganesh Festival Committees from the vicinity and 150 Ganesh-devotees.

Mr. Ramesh Shinde addressing to the audience

Mr. Shinde said further, “When we are told that the Chief Minister will be visiting our festival, we try our best to do everything in an ideal manner; then think that when we can do so much for a chief minister, if the Deity Himself, ‘Nayak of Anantkoti Brahmandas’, comes to us for 11 days, how ideal should be our every act? It is necessary to think about the same seriously. Nowadays, inflation level has crossed all limits, therefore, we should think about how we can help our poor Hindu brethren on this occasion. 150 Hindu families have come to India from Pakistan. The Government is not doing anything for them; but 4 crores of Bangladeshi infiltrators are openly living in this country. Unity amongst Hindus is most necessary to stop such terrible happenings.”

Mr. Vinod solanki of Hindu Dharma Pratishthan said, “During Ganesh festival, we will find 40 persons gambling in the name of ‘Jagaran’; but we have to search for people at the time of performing ‘aarti’. Considering such appalling situation, we decided to stop malpractices. This year, few festival committees have shown readiness to stop malpractices but next year, you won’t find gambling in any of the festivals celebrated in our area.” Mr. Hemant Gore, the secretary of Dharmaveer Sambhaji Mitra Mandal said, “Gambling used to take place even in our festival celebrations earlier; but we have stopped that now. Also, things like drinking liquor, smoking, teasing girls, playing film songs etc. do not take place now. All festival committees have been invited here so that the malpractices stop. Other festival committees should also take intitaive for celebrating the festival in ideal manner.”

More than 175 Ganesh-devotees were present for the program

Representatives of Sahyadri Mitra Mandal, Sai-Siddhi Mitra Mandal, Parshiwadi Mitra Mandal, Jai Maharashtra Ganesh Mitra Mandal, Sawantwadi Mitra Mandal, Digvijay Ganeshotsava Mitra Mandal, Shankar Shambhu Mitra Mandal, Jai Ishwar Ganeshotsava Mitra Mandal etc. attended the program. Flex-boards displaying life-history of revolutionaries and various acts as per Dharma-shastra drew attention of people. Representation for immersion of idols in flowing water or natural water bodies instead of artificial water tanks was signed by the attendees performing their duty towards Dharma; the representation will be forwarded to the Government.