Pune: Ganeshotsav has increasingly become an opportunity for mandals to turn public participation and donations into sustained welfare initiatives, with groups supporting students, providing healthcare and offering affordable meals to citizens. For several organisers, the shift is also an attempt to move the festival back towards community service, away from event-centric and commercialised revelery.In Kasba Peth, the 77-year-old Navgraha Mitra Mandal has run a stationery donation drive for the past eight years. Mandal member Aniket Mundada said the initiative emerged from discussions on how the festival could reconnect with its social purpose.“Over the last 10-15 years, Ganeshotsav has increasingly become an event rather than a festival. We wanted to think about how we could bring back its original spirit,” he said.With nearly 20 lakh people visiting Kasba Peth during the festival, Mundada said the mandal also wanted to give devotees a more meaningful alternative to conventional offerings. “People donate Rs20-50 with a lot of belief, but the offerings of flowers, durva and sweets eventually becomes nirmalya. We thought, why not ask people to donate notebooks and pens instead?” he said.The mandal collects money and stationery during the festival and distributes supplies to students in rural and underserved schools. “We have reached more than 5,500 students so far, including around 1,200 last year. This year, schools in Bhor, Junnar and Chandrapur, among others, are being considered,” said Mundada.The initiative has also moved online, with the mandal using social media to reach potential donors. An online campaign launched on Ganesh Chaturthi clocked 2.67 million views and generated around 1,000 notebooks within two days, Mundada said.Healthcare is another area where mandals are expanding their role. The 135-year-old Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Mitra Mandal has organised ‘MahaArogya Ganeshotsav 2026’, offering free medical services from Sept 15-22. The camps include eye, dental and bone-density check-ups, blood pressure, sugar and haemoglobin tests, breast-health pre-screening, blood donation and assistance with Ayushman Bharat cards. Free spectacles and cataract surgery, along with dialysis assistance subject to conditions, are also part of the initiative.In Camp, Hind Tarun Ganapati Mandal has focused on an everyday need — affordable food. The mandal has been serving lunch for Rs10, particularly benefiting workers from other states, who may not have access to nutritious, home-cooked food.“Many migrant workers cannot access home food nor can they afford Zomato or Swiggy. We provide lunch daily for Rs10, and people from all walks of life show up,” said Dilip Giramkar, founder-president of the mandal.The initiative, now in its fifth year, serves around 100 people daily. The meal includes rice, roti, dal and vegetables, with mandal members serving it from 12.30pm to 2pm. While some festival funds are used, members also contribute from their own pockets to keep the service running throughout the year.For these mandals, the festival is increasingly becoming a platform where devotion is translated into practical support for the wider community.
