Page From History: Ganeshotsav foundation was laid at Kesariwada in 1894

Father of Indian unrest against British colonial rule Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak started his own Ganeshotsav at Kesariwada in 1894 and he was criticised in the first year for doing so.

Tilak had offered an explanation and even after efforts by British rulers to suppress the festival, it spread within the first decade.
Ganeshotsav at Kesariwada is the origin of many initiatives in the present day Ganeshotsav. Tilak with his diplomatic skills and the will to bring about social reforms, made it a point to invite Muslim artistes to perform at the festival.

Deepak Tilak, editor of Kesari and great-grandson of Lokmanya Tilak, said Lokmanya made it a point to appeal to Muslim leaders to participate in the festival. He ensured that Muslim artistes play sanai (shehnai) and other instruments before the idol to ensure communal harmony.

Despite the divide and rule policy of British rulers, there was not a single complaint of communal disturbance in the city, said Tilak.
Tilak, while replying to criticism of bringing Ganesh on the streets, had written in an editorial in Kesari, ‘‘The purpose of starting public celebration of Ganpati is to bring together people of all castes and religions.’’ Tilak said almost within a decade, 60-odd sarvajanik Ganeshotsav mandals were established in Pune.

When Lokmanya was arrested and sent to Mandale prison, British rulers thought that the festival  would come to an end in a year or two but this did not happen. Then, British rulers tried to impose restrictions on Ganeshotsav, said Tilak. The British rulers tried to ban raising slogans like `Tilak Maharaj Ki Jai’ during the fest and people found a unique solution. They started raising slogans like `Lokmanya Tilak Maharaj Yanni Suru Kelelya Ganpati Bappa Ki Jai’ (hail public Ganeshotsav started by Lokmanya Tilak) which British rulers could not stop and Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav flourished day-by-day and year after year.

Being Lokmanya’s Ganeshotsav, almost all important reform initiatives, lecture series, plays, keertans and activities which contained the message of Swaraj started at Kesariwada. All great freedom fighters, politicians, writers and artistes took part in the celebrations. Lomanya Tilak,  NC Kelkar, Khadilkar, Bakhalebuwa, his disciples Balgandharva and Master Krushnarao, Manjusha Patil and Shaunak Abhisheki have performed at the festival. Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi performed in public for the first time at Kesariwada.

During the immersion, Kesariwada used to be fourth in queue but later started following Tulshibaug and now is the fifth revered mandal in Pune.

For immersion procession, the idol is kept in an attractive palkhi donated by Patwardhan family from Miraj. Since the palkhi is very old, it is carried in a tractor and people throng to touch the feet of the idol.