9 days to Ganeshotsav: Preparations in full swing at Dagdusheth pandal

August 27, 2016

Exteriors of the Dagdusheth Ganapati pandal

Visiting the Dagdusheth pandal during Ganeshotsav is on every Puneite’s list. The Dagdusheth Ganapati Temple regularly sees throngs of people come in to catch a glimpse of the seven-and-a-half feet Ganesh idol adorned with nearly eight kilos of gold. The grandeur of the temple is mirrored every year with the elaborate pandal that is built. Each year, the pandal is created using a different theme which is chosen through indepth discussions amongst the trustees. Mahesh Suryavanshi, trustee of Dagdusheth Temple discloses the theme. “This year we have decided to recreate the Mahabalipuram temple. The reason we picked this is to educate and spread the feeling of national integrity amongst the people who have never been to South India,” he says.

The streets around Dagdusheth are brimming with activity as people scurry along to make arrangements for Bappa’s arrival. Right in the middle of this lies the 70-feet high Dagdusheth pandal. The tall stilts with large pieces of cloth looming over promise a grand opening on the first day of Ganeshotsav. The effort and dedication gone into recreating a historical structure such as the Mahabalipuram Temple entails great amount of research and planning. Vivek Khatavkar, the art director of the Dagdusheth pandal along with another member of the team visited the famous temples located on the Coromandel Coast for research purposes. “We observe the art work closely and take as many photographs as possible. Then as soon as we come back a joint decision is taken about the theme and we start sketching a plan and design,” elaborates Khatavkar.

The Mahabalipuram Temple which was built during the Pallavas rule displays artistic and architectural creations made from varied rock materials. The recreation being built for the 10-day festival will be made out of plywood. “We have tried to make the structure as authentic as possible. It is almost 40 per cent similar to the original. There are of course a lot of restrictions due to which we cannot replicate it more than that,” adds the art director. With preparations starting three months in advance and almost 40 workers on board, Khatavkar is seen seated right in the middle overseeing the final touches. Most of the work is done in the factory located at Sarasbaug, but the assembling takes a great deal of hard work. “I have been working at the Dagdusheth pandal for the last 15 years. The manufactured parts come to us and we are in charge of putting up the pandal. No matter what the theme is every year, we work from 7 am to 10 pm,” says Appa Haribhau Tamkar.