More than 200 members of the East Bay Marathi Mandal celebrate Ganeshotsav with a lezim performance to Marathi songs in Dublin, California, organised by Hemali Gondhalekar of T&D Dance Academy
In Barcelona, Maharashtra Mandal Spain celebrated its fourth annual Ganeshotsav on Sept 19. “The year 2026 is designated as the Spain-India Dual Year to commemorate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations. The Grand Ganeshotsav, held on Sept 19, brought together participants from around 25 nationalities.
“Celebrating Ganeshotsav in the Netherlands allows the Indian community to preserve a cherished tradition while also opening it up to people from different cultural backgrounds,” said Palaskar, a member of Wij The People. He said performances, traditional music, dance, food and storytelling had become integral to the celebrations, allowing neighbours and friends from different backgrounds to participate rather than simply watch. Tilak said the public Ganeshotsav made popular by his great-grandfather had originally provided a platform for people to gather, exchange ideas and build public awareness. Taking the tradition abroad, he said, could continue its legacy of bringing communities together. Sumit Vilas Kutwal, an IT consultant and mandal member, said the organisation also celebrates Maharashtra Day, Gudi Padwa, Shiv Rajyabhishek and Ashadhi Ekadashi. The celebration included the installation of a Ganesh idol with vedic chants, a mass recitation of the Atharvashirsha and performances by Indian and Spanish participants, followed by bhajan and visarjan,” said Kutwal. Valeria Reyes from Mexico, who volunteered at the event, said, “My experience was incredible.
The festival has found a more direct connection with Pune in The Hague, where the Netherlands Marathi Mandal hosted its fifth annual Ganeshotsav jointly with Kesariwada Ganapati. Rohit Tilak, president of Kesariwada Ganeshotsav Mandal, carried a replica of the Kesariwada Ganapati to the Netherlands and performed its installation. Prague offered perhaps the most visibly multicultural version of the festival. Czech dancers Sylvie Vojtkova and Evin Vojtkova performed Bharatanatyam and Kathak, while guests from Moldova, Romania, Russia, Mexico and Slovakia joined the programme. I haven’t been to India, and I was very happy I could connect a little with the Indian culture. I am very happy I went and met very amazing people, food was great, and all the dances were magical.”