36,000 women chant ‘Atharvashirsha’ at Pune’s famous Dagdusheth Ganpati pandal

Pune: As many as 36,000 women chanted ‘Atharvashirsha’ at the famous Dagdusheth Ganapati pandal in Maharashtra’s Pune on Wednesday morning, on the second day of the 10-day Ganeshotsav.

Atharvashirsha, a Sanskrit text, is dedicated to Lord Ganesha, a deity of knowledge, wisdom, and good fortune.

The Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganapati Trust said this is the 36th year of the annual recital of Atharvashirsha at their Ganesh festival celebrations.

Clad in traditional attire, 36,000 women filled the space in front of the popular Dagdusheth Ganapati pandal. They then chanted the hymn. The trust said this was the highest participation of women in its hymn recital event at their pandal.

According to a release by the trust, devotees from Russia and Thailand also took part in Wednesday’s collective recitation of the Sanskrit text.

The theme of this year's decoration at the pandal is the replica of the under-construction Ram Mandir of Ayodya.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday performed a special puja at the famous pandal on the first day of the 10-day festival.

The public celebration of the festival in the state dates back to the 1890s when the nationalist leader Bal Gangadhar Tilak and others decided to use it to mobilise the masses.

Ganesh mandals in Mumbai and other major cities took large idols in processions accompanied by dhol-tasha beats to their pandals in the last few days.

Household Ganesh idols were brought mostly on Monday night or in the morning on Tuesday with chants of 'Ganpati Bappa Morya'. Many of them were also immersed on Wednesday after being worshipped for one-and-a-half days.