Belagavi: City’s Ganesha festival began not only as a religious celebration but also as part of the freedom movement against British rule.
The city’s first public Ganeshotsav was held in 1905. Tilak inaugurated the public celebration on Sept 2, 1905, at Vishnu Patnekar’s grocery shop in what is now the Onion Market area of Zenda Chowk, according to local accounts. The Zenda Chowk Ganesh Utsav Mandal was formally organised in 2006 and is now known as the Madhyavarthi Sarvajanik Shri Ganapathi Utsav Mandal. “We stopped collecting donations after the mandal completed 100 years. By 2016, the number had grown to nearly 360. Today, public mandals in the city have installed around 380 idols, while more than 6,677 idols are installed across Belagavi district. Ten mandals in Belagavi city have completed 100 years and continue to celebrate the festival. People from different castes, communities, languages and faiths come together during the 11-day festival. City gears up for grand fest The city is ready to welcome Lord Ganesha as the 11-day Ganeshotsav celebrations begin on Monday. To ease traffic congestion, city police had allowed large Ganesh idols to be brought into the city between Sept 10 and 12. Nearly 60 idols were taken to various localities in traditional welcome processions during the past week, helping reduce traffic pressure ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi.
Traders reported brisk business, reflecting the enthusiasm surrounding one of the region’s biggest festivals. Stay updated with the latest Hubballi news.
Tilak is also said to have laid the first bamboo pole of the pandal, a tradition that has continued for more than a century. Speaking to TOI, mandal office bearer Vikas Kalaghatagi said the mandal is celebrating its 122nd Ganeshotsav this year. Since then, we have been organising several social and cultural programmes for the benefit of society, students and young people,” he said. Belagavi City police commissioner Prakash Nikam has urged Ganesh Utsav mandals to strictly follow official safety guidelines, court directions and instructions issued by the administration.“I appeal to organisers to follow the approved routes without last-minute changes and avoid excessively long processions to ensure effective crowd and traffic management”, Nikam said.
Freedom fighters Govindrao Yalgi and Gangadhar Rao Deshpande are credited with starting the celebration with the support of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak. In Pune, Tilak had already demonstrated how Ganesha Chaturthi could bring people together and spread awareness about the freedom struggle. At a time when the British closely monitored nationalist activities, public religious gatherings gave people an opportunity to meet, build unity, and promote patriotic ideas. Belagavi’s first public Ganesha idol was installed in the city’s market area. At the time, Belagavi was part of the Bombay Province. The Zenda Chowk mandal is also known for promoting social harmony. When Muharram coincides with the Ganesha festival, the mandal installs a Muharram doli on the same pandal. Members of both Hindu and Muslim communities participate in the rituals and celebrations. The tradition gradually expanded. Belagavi city had six Ganesh mandals within two decades. The celebrations have also evolved over the years. In the early days, idols were modest and were often taken through the streets on bullock carts. More than a century after its beginning, Belagavi’s Ganesha festival continues to connect the city’s freedom-era history with its present. Preparations have entered the final stage, with markets crowded with shoppers and public Ganesh mandals completing work on pandals, decorations and cultural programmes. Commercial areas such as Pangul Galli, Maruti Galli, Ganapati Galli and Khade Bazar remained busy over the weekend as devotees purchased puja materials, flowers, lighting equipment and decorative items. Police and civic authorities have made elaborate arrangements for peaceful celebrations. Senior police officers, personnel from the District Armed Reserve, Karnataka State Reserve Police and Rapid Action Force have been deployed to manage crowds and processions. Surveillance will be strengthened through drones, CCTV cameras and automatic number plate recognition cameras, particularly along major procession and immersion routes. Authorities have reiterated the ban on high-decibel DJ systems and urged organisers to promote traditional folk performances and cultural programmes. The festive atmosphere has been heightened by the arrival of large, elaborately decorated Ganesh idols, accompanied by music, traditional drums and enthusiastic participation from residents. Download the TOI App.
The festival soon became closely associated with Zenda Chowk, which remains historically significant. Today, the festival features large idols, colourful lighting, themed pandals and processions that continue for several hours.