Deepak Kharabe, the president of the celebrations told dna over phone that the Ganesh Sansthan does not go for immersion of the idol but instead takes out a march around the village with deity in the Palakhi and the festival officially comes to an end on Poornima day, the day after Anant Chaturdashi. Kharabe informed that every day, the Ganesh Sansthan has religious, mythological and political plays which are presented by the village youths.
While thousands of Ganesh Mandals are preparing for immersion procession of Lord Ganesha on the Anant Chaturdasi, the last day of 10-day Ganesh Festival. The festival is being celebrated all over the state and World, while a small village in the state, with just over a thousand households, celebrates Ganesh festival without any immersion of Ganesh idol.
Interestingly, the Ganesh festival in Helas, a small village in Jalna district of Marathwada is unique in many reasons. The Ganesh festival is officially being celebrated for last 127 years and at Helas there has never been any immersion of the idol at the end of the festival. What is unique about the Helas Ganesh Sansthan festival is that no villager in the village goes for inception of Ganesh idol in house. The only Ganesha idol in the ancient temple at the centre of the village celebrates the festival, and people from entire village participate in the festival.
Deepak Kharabe, the president of the celebrations told dna over phone that the Ganesh Sansthan does not go for immersion of the idol but instead takes out a march around the village with deity in the Palakhi and the festival officially comes to an end on Poornima day, the day after Anant Chaturdashi. Kharabe informed that every day, the Ganesh Sansthan has religious, mythological and political plays which are presented by the village youths.
He added that the tradition of at least 3-4 plays is coupled with Lalit, Bharud, Vagnatya (Tamasha), Haripath which are the regular features of this festival. Interestingly, no women villagers take part in the plays and the women roles are also played by youngsters and men in the village. After the Palakhi march, on last day, a traditional Dahi-Handi is organized to mark end of the festival.
None of the villagers brings or incepts any Ganesh idol at their home in the entire village. Interestingly, on the last day of the festival, the village has almost around 20 thousand guests. All the girls from the village, who are married outside the village, gather for the last day celebration and many of them also arrive from the far areas like Beed, Hingoli, Parali, Ambajogai of Marathwada region and also places from Vidarbha. The villagers participate in the last day Palakhi march and with 70-odd Dindis (group of people marching on foot). Common lunch is cooked for the entire village every day during the festival. This year it would be 12-day festival, informed Kharabe.
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