Navgraha Mitra Mandal has been running a stationery donation drive for the past eight years
In Kasba Peth, the 77-year-old Navgraha Mitra Mandal has run a stationery donation drive for the past eight years. “Over the last 10-15 years, Ganeshotsav has increasingly become an event rather than a festival. With nearly 20 lakh people visiting Kasba Peth during the festival, Mundada said the mandal also wanted to give devotees a more meaningful alternative to conventional offerings. “People donate Rs20-50 with a lot of belief, but the offerings of flowers, durva and sweets eventually becomes nirmalya. “We have reached more than 5,500 students so far, including around 1,200 last year. An online campaign launched on Ganesh Chaturthi clocked 2.67 million views and generated around 1,000 notebooks within two days, Mundada said. The 135-year-old Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Mitra Mandal has organised ‘MahaArogya Ganeshotsav 2026’, offering free medical services from Sept 15-22. The initiative, now in its fifth year, serves around 100 people daily. The meal includes rice, roti, dal and vegetables, with mandal members serving it from 12.30pm to 2pm.
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Mandal member Aniket Mundada said the initiative emerged from discussions on how the festival could reconnect with its social purpose. We wanted to think about how we could bring back its original spirit,” he said. We thought, why not ask people to donate notebooks and pens instead?” he said. This year, schools in Bhor, Junnar and Chandrapur, among others, are being considered,” said Mundada. We provide lunch daily for Rs10, and people from all walks of life show up,” said Dilip Giramkar, founder-president of the mandal.
Pune: Ganeshotsav has increasingly become an opportunity for mandals to turn public participation and donations into sustained welfare initiatives, with groups supporting students, providing healthcare and offering affordable meals to citizens. For several organisers, the shift is also an attempt to move the festival back towards community service, away from event-centric and commercialised revelery. The mandal collects money and stationery during the festival and distributes supplies to students in rural and underserved schools. The initiative has also moved online, with the mandal using social media to reach potential donors. Healthcare is another area where mandals are expanding their role. The camps include eye, dental and bone-density check-ups, blood pressure, sugar and haemoglobin tests, breast-health pre-screening, blood donation and assistance with Ayushman Bharat cards. Free spectacles and cataract surgery, along with dialysis assistance subject to conditions, are also part of the initiative. In Camp, Hind Tarun Ganapati Mandal has focused on an everyday need — affordable food. The mandal has been serving lunch for Rs10, particularly benefiting workers from other states, who may not have access to nutritious, home-cooked food. “Many migrant workers cannot access home food nor can they afford Zomato or Swiggy. members also contribute from their own pockets to keep the service running throughout the year While some festival funds are used. For these mandals, the festival is increasingly becoming a platform where devotion is translated into practical support for the wider community. Download the TOI App.