Lokmanya Tilak was inspired by Bhausaheb Rangari, who besides running a dispensary would also help freedom fighters by storing their arms and weapons
The forerunner of celebrating Ganeshotsav as a public festival, the Srimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganapati has etched its name in the history books for being the first sarvajanik Ganeshotsav mandal in the country.
Bhausaheb Laxman Javale alias Bhau Rangari was the royal physician or ‘raj-vaidya’ and ran a charitable dispensary at his two-storey home behind Shaniwarwada. Javale family was involved in dyeing the shalus (ethnic Maharshtrian sarees), which brought them the family name ‘Rangari’ and the lane where they lived became famous as shalukaracha bol (alley of the shalu artisans).
Bhau Rangari, besides running the dispensary, also helped revolutionaries of the freedom struggle, stored their arms and weapons, so that they could move around without the Britishers being suspicious of them.
Krushnaji Kashinath Kajgiwale (better known as Nanasaheb Khajgiwale) once discussed about a public celebration of Ganeshotsav he had witnessed in Gwalior with his friend Bhau Rangari. This led the two to organise a meeting at the latter’s home, which was attended by Maharshi Annasaheb Patwardhan, Balasaheb Natu, Dagdusheth Halwai and others, at which it was decided to start a public celebration of Ganesh festival in Pune.
Soon, three Ganapati idols were installed publicly in the first year – Srimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganapati, Ganaptrao Ghotavadekar Ganapati and Nanasaheb Khajgiwale Ganapati. All the three Ganapatis were immersed with a grand procession and Lokmanya Tilak liked the idea. He backed it with an editorial in his publication Kesari, following which Tilak started his own sarvajanik Ganeshotsav in 1894.
Kashinath Thakurji Jadhav, Bhau Rangari’s disciple, who was more like his son, carried forward the tradition of public celebration after his death in 1905. All the legendary figures, including Lokmanya Tilak, Bipinchandra Pal, Chaphekar brothers, Dadasaheb Khaparde, Shivram Mahadev Paranjape, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, KB Hedgewar, Veer Savarkar, PK Atre, Jayantrao Tilak, Abasaheb Mujumdar and others delivered lectures at Bhau Rangari Ganapati festival.
Much later, Bhau Rangari’s son-in-law, Parshuram Balaji Nikam and Prabhakar Neelkanth Shelar continued the custom of the Mandal never collecting any donations or subscriptions from residents, and was run on voluntary contributions from soldiers and the enthusiasts working for the Mandal.
Milind or Baba Dafal is the president for the Mandal, who undertakes all the tasks. The idol of the Mandal is 119 years old, made in 1892 using paper pulp and other biodegradable ingredients, and even today the same idol is installed every year.
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