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By:

Ruddhi Phadke

22 September 2024 at 10:17:54 am

Gudhi Padwa draws world to Girgaum

Mumbai: It was the 24 th  celebration of Gudhi Padwa in Girgaum on Thursday, and as usual, the festivities were grand, picturesque and saw humongous response not just from the local residents. This year, the celebration saw huge participation of enthusiasts from beyond the borders. While some coincidentally bumped into the event, some others actually typed ‘Gudhi Padwa 2026 schedule’ in their google search bar to ensure they did not miss this ‘must do’ event while planning their holiday...

Gudhi Padwa draws world to Girgaum

Mumbai: It was the 24 th  celebration of Gudhi Padwa in Girgaum on Thursday, and as usual, the festivities were grand, picturesque and saw humongous response not just from the local residents. This year, the celebration saw huge participation of enthusiasts from beyond the borders. While some coincidentally bumped into the event, some others actually typed ‘Gudhi Padwa 2026 schedule’ in their google search bar to ensure they did not miss this ‘must do’ event while planning their holiday travel in India. It is indeed a big moment for a Mumbaikar to know that an international traveler has Girgaon listed as one of the ‘must do’ destinations for an India trip in their diary; Gudhi Padwa being the cause is even more interesting. Tana, who lives in the Netherlands embarked on a long duration trip to India earlier this month, visited Mumbai specifically to enjoy the festivities. She told ‘The Perfect Voice’ , “I came here to celebrate Gudhi Padwa with you. I am here to experience everything that I see, all the beautiful outfits, beautiful people. I did a lot of research. I knew that today is the day New Year is celebrated in Maharashtra. I am a tourist. I am alone. I am indulging in everything here from food, festivals, dresses. I adore India. I actually typed Gudhi Padwa in the search bar to ensure I did not miss this must-do event during my trip to India.” Shivani Dopavkar, a Hula Hoop artist who is a regular and active participant had made an interesting statement when she had spoken to ‘The Perfect Voice’  during last year’s Shobha Yaatra. She had said, “I quit my IT profession to take up Hula Hoop as my full-time art. I wish to take Girgaum to a level where it is recognised globally. I have chosen Hula Hoop to accomplish this dream for which Gudhi Padwa Shobha Yatra is a perfect platform.” The dream doesn’t seem to be far from success as a lot of foreign participants dressed up in traditional Indian attire were seen enjoying the activities Annie, from Berlin who came to India as a tourist co-incidentally got introduced to the festivities. “It is really colourful. I have come from Berlin with my Indian friend. German culture is very different. Everything is colourful and vibrant here. The women on the bikes, the flowers, everything that we see around is very eventful,” said Annie. Early Preparations Girgaum woke up to busy preparations right from six am, as participants and volunteers geared up for the day ahead. The action began at around nine am, with people from different walks of life wounding their happiness around different themes from Hindu mythology to ancient Marathi traditions. From Children to elderly, to differently abled individuals, all enthusiastically navigated through densely crowded tiny lanes that whole-heartedly accommodated hundreds of visitors. Kamini Darji, a Gujarathi speaking Girgaum resident was present in the middle of the action with her differently abled son. Darji said, “I get my son every year to witness the festivities. The environment gives a very united and positive vibe. We never miss the event.” From Lejhim to Dhol Tasha Pathak, from bike borne Navvari saree clad women to Hula hoop artists; from live bhajan singing to Mardani Khel to children dressed up based on different themes from Chandrayaan to ‘Vithoba-Rakhmai’; the celebration gave a perfect introduction of India’s cultural wealth to all the international visitors. Jennifer from Germany who participated in Mardani Khel wearing a traditional nine-yard saree said, “We play Mardani khel every year for Gudhi Padwa. I have been to Maharashtra many times. This is the first time that I have come to Mumbai. I learnt this art at Shivaji Raje Mardani Akhada in Pune. I have been visiting India for nine years. Earlier I used to live in Bengaluru.” Vande Mataram Theme While it was a beautiful blend of all the aspects that define India, the cherry on the top was – the ‘Vandya Vande Mataram’ – theme. To commemorate 150 th  anniversary of India’s national song Vande Mataram, most of the Tableaus and art work revolved around patriotic sentiment. While Shobha yatra 2024 was all about Lord Shri Ram and 2025 about pride for Marathi language, the year 2026 was all about freedom struggle and love for India. The most interesting highlight was the 25-foot-tall paper statue of freedom fighter Swatantryaveer Savarkar that was carried past to the thunderous beats of drums filling the air with exuberance. A 31-year-old sculptor Gaurav Pawar made the statue along with his brother Gitesh and other volunteers. Gaurav said, “Last year we made a statue of Dnyaneshwar. This year we got an opportunity to make a statue of Savarkar Ji. We took 10 days to make the statue out of paper and bamboo material. It was completely eco-friendly. We got to learn a lot about Savarkar ji during the process and it was a very very sensitive experience.” The Statue was prepared in Bedekar Sadan which is one of the buildings located in Shantaram Chawl Complex which was the hotbed of freedom movement. The residents unknowingly carry forward the legacy of the enclosed structure, a place where prominent freedom fighters like Lokmanya Tilak, Annie Basant, Mahatma Gandhi, Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Lala Lajpat Rai used to gather to lead historic movements.

BJP apprehensive of Marathi-Muslim vote bloc

Mumbai: The strategic reunion of the Thackeray cousins marks a pivotal shift in Mumbai’s political landscape, forcing the BJP-led Mahayuti to reconsider its path toward controlling the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). At the heart of the BJP’s concern is the emergence of a Marathi-Muslim voting bloc, a demographic alliance that mirrors the potent ‘Muslim-Yadav’ formula famously utilised by Lalu Prasad Yadav in Bihar. Internal assessments suggest that this cross-community alignment could influence as many as 43 seats in the city. While the BJP traditionally struggles to capture the Muslim vote, the real danger to their campaign lies in the possibility of the Muslim community voting tactically for the Shiv Sena (UBT) to prevent a BJP victory.


The formalisation of the alliance between Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray has fundamentally altered the math in 36 core ‘Marathi’ seats. Previously, the BJP had hoped that a split in the Marathi vote between various factions would allow their candidates to sail through. However, the unified ‘Brand Thackeray’ appeal now threatens to consolidate these votes under a single banner.


Sigh Of Relief

Interestingly, BJP surveys had previously indicated that if Raj Thackeray had joined Eknath Shinde’s faction, the impact would have been even more severe, potentially affecting 45 seats. While the current UBT-MNS pairing offers a slight ‘sigh of relief’ in that regard, it remains a formidable obstacle to the Mahayuti’s target of 178 seats.


Further complicating the situation is the stance of the City Congress unit, which recently severed ties with the Shiv Sena (UBT). This move was largely driven by the fear that their core Muslim support base would be alienated by an association with the MNS. The BJP’s strategy has involved highlighting this tension. City BJP Chief Ameet Satam famously warned that a UBT victory would result in the city having a ‘Khan’ as its Mayor. This was a clear attempt to polarize the electorate and pull Marathi voters away from the Thackeray camp.


Marathi Mayor

However, Raj Thackeray’s assurance at today’s press conference that the city will have a ‘Marathi Mayor’ from the UBT-MNS alliance has provided a counter-narrative. This statement serves two purposes. Firstly, it reassures the Marathi heartland of the alliance’s priorities, and secondly it gives the BJP a new rhetorical tool. The BJP now intends to use Raj Thackeray’s ‘Marathi-first’ rhetoric to suggest to Muslim voters that the alliance does not truly represent their interests, hoping this will cause them to reconsider their tactical support for the Shiv Sena (UBT).


As the January 15 elections approach, the success of the Mahayuti depends on whether they can break this budding Marathi-Muslim coalition or if the “Thackeray Factor” will successfully bridge the gap between these historically disparate voting blocs.


Seat Sharing

A senior BJP leader, while commenting on the UBT-MNS alliance asked as to why the seat-sharing formula was not declared by the two leaders, and went on to reveal the answer. According to him, the Shiv Sena (UBT) is worried as to how many seats the Shiv Sena under Eknath Shinde gets to contest and knows well that Shinde won’t settle for anything less than what the MNS gets. The BJP leader said that the MNS is asking for 80 seats and if that number is revealed, the BJP will have to leave as many seats to Shiv Sena. It’ll be better for the BJP.


Their track record is of corruption and self-interest. Their alliance is for their own political survival and it will not make any significant political difference. It is childish if anyone thinks otherwise. People will not get swayed. The television news channels were reporting as if it was the Russia-Ukaine alliance. Thackerays are not the lone representatives of Marathi people and Mumbai.

Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister

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