Pune: The senior citizens’ zeal and enthusiasm to watch the procession of five Manache Ganpati Mandals matched that of the younger generation on the immersion day in the city.
For senior couple Pandurang Dhekne (67) and Swarupa Dhekne (63), it is like remembering their young days. “When we were young, we used to visit immersion procession here every year. But after we had children it was difficult to make time to visit. Now our children are settled so for past 10 years we have been reliving our young days by coming here. Our favourite part is to listen to dhol tasha,” said Pandurang.
75-year-old Hirabai Dnyanoba Mangde shares a similar feeling. She travels from Ghorpadi to Laxmi Road every year to see the procession. “The dhol tasha pathak performance attracts me here. Also, I love to take darshan of all the Manache Ganapatis before they go for immersion, and although there is a huge crowd, I still manage to take darshan.”
For Vijay Prasade (63), a resident of Katraj, it is about spending time with his grandchildren and to impart the traditional culture of Maharashtra to them. “All the doings and processions of Ganesh festival hold a historic relevance in our culture. I have grown up witnessing the five Manache Ganpati celebrations and I feel privileged to enable my grandchildren to visually relate to the traditional and cultural form of the festival,” said Prasade.
