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Soldiers deployed in border and remote areas will celebrate Ganeshotsav this year with replicas of Pune's famous Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati idol, bringing a touch of home to their distant postings.
For soldiers deployed in remote and challenging locations such as Kargil, Jammu, Rajasthan and other border areas, travelling to Pune to join the city's grand Ganeshotsav celebrations is often impossible due to their operational duties. This year, however, the festival will bring a little piece of Pune to their posts. The Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganpati Trust and Suvarnayug Tarun Mandal have provided two-foot-tall symbolic replicas of the Dagdusheth Ganpati idol to soldiers of various Maratha Light Infantry units. The idols were recently handed over to Army personnel at the Dagdusheth Ganpati temple and have been dispatched to different locations, including Kargil, Jammu, Ayodhya and Rajasthan, where soldiers will install them during the Ganeshotsav celebrations. The initiative stems from a simple wish expressed by soldiers of the Maratha Light Infantry to have the revered Dagdusheth Ganpati with them while celebrating the festival at their distant postings. For many of these soldiers, Ganeshotsav is not merely a religious festival but also an emotional connection to home, family and the traditions they leave behind while serving the country. Installing a Ganesh idol at an Army post on the border gives soldiers a different kind of energy. The Maratha Battalion celebrates Ganeshotsav with great enthusiasm every year, said Sunil Rasne, president of the Dagdusheth Ganpati Trust. He said the Maratha Battalion and the Trust have shared close ties since 2011 and that symbolic idols of Dagdusheth Ganpati have been installed at different border locations for several years. The initiative has now entered its 16th consecutive year, with the number of participating Army units increasing over time. The symbolic idols have been handed over to soldiers of the 24, 5, 19 and 1 Maratha Light Infantry units. Trust office-bearers, including treasurer Mahesh Suryawanshi, Rajabhau Chavan and Tushar Raykar, along with volunteers, were present during the handover. With soldiers from different parts of the country deployed along India's borders, the initiative also carries a broader message of togetherness. For the troops standing guard far from their families, the arrival of Bappa at their posts is expected to make the festival feel a little closer to home, a reminder of the people, traditions and prayers they protect while serving the nation. (ANI)
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