Religion no bar for Ganeshotsav celebrations generally
Mangalore Today News Network
Pune, Sep 16, 2016: As the ten days of Ganeshotsav come to a close today, celebrations in Pune Camp epitomises communal harmony that prevails generally.
Cajetan Lobo, the vice-president of the Shivtej Mitra Mandal at Bootee Street, is a Roman Catholic. Lobo funds various charity initiatives on behalf of the mandal, and he is also one of the chief organizers of the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities in the crowded stretch of the road.
Local residents and those who gather for the evening aarti and distribution of prasad, however, do not find any novelty in Lobo’s presence.
"All communities come together every year to celebrate Ganeshotsav. One of our main organizers is a Christian, and we have members from every community who help us in every possible way to celebrate Ganeshotsav in an appropriate manner.
Hindus and Muslims prepare the Prasad together, and other communities chip in as well, whenever they can afford to spare some time.
Everybody has a very busy schedule but people try to help. Even when we are not conducting the Ganeshotsav, people from all strata of society and from all religions fund charitable activities, whether they are connected to schools, hospitals or poor families," says Vinay Munj, one of the organizers of the Shivtej Mitra Mandal. Munj adds that the Bishop Thomas Dabre of Pune visited the pandal a few days ago following an invitation sent to the Diocese.
Locals say the sense of community, cutting across religious or economic divisions to participate in the festivities, comes from the long coexistence of families in the area. Almost all of the families have lived in the tiny residences in the lanes of Camp for generations.
"Our families know each other very well. I have grown up with my Hindu and Christian neighbours and we played on the streets when we were kids. So it is only natural that we celebrate all festivals together," said Arif Shaikh, a resident of Sachapir Street.
Barely a stone’s throw away is the Dastur Meher Road Ganapati Trust, now more than 114 years old. The mandal’s location, right beside the Parsee Panchayat office of the city, symbolizes the melting pot of cultures that this area is known for.
A few metres away, a Parsee-owned bakery has advertised chocolate-flavoured modaks for sale and if the bakery’s attendant is to be believed, "They are selling like hot cakes."
Locals there, who too have lived for long years in the area, say that celebrating festivals together, irrespective of the religion, comes naturally to them.
"My family and I run this restaurant, where any occasion or festival means increased footfalls. Our lives have also been woven into these festivals and with the lives of members of other communities as well. It is wonderful to be a part of this community", says Daisy Dorabjee, co-owner of Dorabjee and Sons restaurant on Dastur Meher Road, the oldest Parsee eatery in Pune.