'DNA' eco- ganesha: Traditional tunes to usher in the Lord

DJs are passé. The craze this Ganesha festival is to bring back a traditional look and feel. And to do just that, a few Ganpati mandals in Girgaum have, for the first time, brought in dhwaj pathaks to perform while welcoming and immersing Lord Ganesha idols.

Dhwaj pathaks, a common sight on Gudi Padwa — an important festival for Maharashtrians — consists of people marching in rhythm, holding flags. The performers march in tune to the beats of traditional instruments. It is coupled with lejhim, a form of dance where the performers have to dance to the tune of cymbals tied to a wooden stick.

The performers, both men and women,  wear traditional outfits, completing the look with fetas, traditional headgear.

This year, a sarvajanik Ganesh mandal has invited dhwaj pathaks to perform during the festival.

“Every year during the Ganesha festival, we used to opt for DJ music. This year, we thought of making things special, as it is the 50th year of our celebration. Also, this kind of performance makes the festival more popular in the area,” said Jayesh Gohil, vice-president of the New Charni Road Sarvajanik Ganeshutsav Mandal.

A year ago, Gohil had watched dhwaj pathaks performing in Pune, and that was when the idea to have them perform for Ganesha struck him. The decision was a good one as people turned to watch his Ganesha idol instead of the Satvi Galli Ganpati, that makes head turn with its imposing height of 25 feet.

“The Satvi Galli Ganpati was also going along when we were taking our Ganpati to the mandal on September 9. Our dance made sure that people turned their heads towards our Ganpati and stayed glued to our procession,” he added.

Other reason organisers prefer performances like these is because they give people a typically Maharashtrian feel.
“I liked the idea of boys and girls dancing in traditional clothes. Like in Pune, only traditional instruments are played,” informed Pradeep Maduskar, a resident of Jaobawadi, Girgaum.

Maduskar is planning to have a four-hour long procession while taking the Ganesha idol for immersion.

“This form of dance also gives a certain discipline to the festival. Unlike the regular ones where people tend to drink in celebration, this one sticks to the strict traditional ways,” said Nikhil Kalawint, the leader of the Girgaum Dhwaj Pathak which performs during Gudi Padwa, and will be performing for the two mandals too.