Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday performed pooja at the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganesh Mandir in Pune, which has a history and heritage of over a century and a vast arena of social work.
“The Dagdusheth Halwai Ganesh Mandir has a great importance in the history of Pune,” Modi said.
The temple is located in Budhwar Peth, a short distance away from the historical Shaniwar Wada fort, which was seat of the Peshwas of the Maratha Empire and Lal Mahal at Kasba Peth, where legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj stayed for several years.
The deity of Lord Ganesha was incepted by Shri Dagdusheth Halwai and his wife Lakshmibai way back around 1893, when they lost their only son to the plague epidemic.
The Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati holds a special significance among the devotees - and is among the five ‘manache’ Ganpati mandals of Pune - and lakhs of people visit the temple during the 10-day festival.
The visit is significant as during this year’s Ganeshutsav, the Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganpati Trust plans to celebrate the 131st year of the public festival in a grand manner by recreating Ram temple of Ayodhya.
Every year, the Ganpati festival was celebrated with deep faith and enthusiasm, not only by Dagdusheth’s family but the entire neighbourhood and people from other parts of the state too come for darshans.
The wrestler-trader, Dagdusheth was a sweet-maker and seller and the original halwai shop still exists under the name - Dagdusheth Halwai Sweets - near Datta Mandir in Pune.
Dagdusheth was closely associated with Lokmanya Tilak, the revolutionary freedom fighter and nationalist, who started the public Ganesh festivals or the Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav, in 1893.