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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.

Digital Delinquency

Updated: Mar 20, 2025

The prime mover behind the communal tensions that flared in Nagpur was the unchecked spread of misinformation across social media. A viral video depicting the burning of an effigy wrapped in a green cloth led to baseless claims of the Quran being burned, which in turn triggered outrage, protest and bloodshed. With over 130,000 posts under hashtags like #NagpurViolence in a matter of hours, platforms such as X, Instagram and WhatsApp became both accelerants and battlefields within moments. The incident, which left over 30 people including policemen wounded, and saw widespread arson and vandalism, should serve as a wake-up call for the Supreme Court to act decisively in regulating social media.


The Indian government has long been aware of social media’s role in stoking unrest. From the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots to the 2023 communal clashes in Kolhapur over WhatsApp messages glorifying Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan, digital misinformation has repeatedly played a lethal role. In the latest episode in Nagpur, police quickly flagged over 100 social media accounts that had spread incendiary content. Some were found to be sharing old or altered videos to provoke further violence.


This digital delinquency is not just an Indian problem. Social media has been complicit in Myanmar’s Rohingya crisis, Brazil’s political riots, and America’s Capitol insurrection. The challenge, then, is not just curbing individual incidents but developing a regulatory framework that prevents such escalations in the first place. The Supreme Court, which recently urged the government to establish guidelines for regulating social media content, must seize this moment to push through decisive reforms.


The Nagpur riots should serve as a case study in the dangers of algorithmic negligence. Platforms profit from virality, with outrage-inducing content receiving disproportionate engagement. While law enforcement scrambles to track IP addresses, WhatsApp forwards protected by end-to-end encryption pose a tougher challenge. Social media firms, eager to expand their user bases in India, have little incentive to police content unless forced to do so.


This is where the Supreme Court must step in. It should press the government for clear, enforceable regulations. Mandatory content moderation teams based in India, stricter penalties for platforms failing to curb misinformation, and real-time cooperation between social media giants and law enforcement could be starting points. One avenue is to empower India’s cybersecurity agencies with greater autonomy to act against fake news before it snowballs into violence. If left unchecked, digital disinformation will continue to stoke communal flashpoints. Nagpur’s turmoil, like similar incidents before it, underscores the urgency of action.


Nations like Germany, where platforms are required to remove hate speech within 24 hours or face steep fines, offer a model for balancing free expression with public safety. India must follow suit. The government has urged social media platforms to swiftly remove inflammatory content. The need of the hour is a comprehensive policy that holds both platforms and individuals accountable for spreading falsehoods and dousing digital wildfires.

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