The Pimpalkatta Sarvajanik Shri Ganapati Utsav has completed 60 years since inception and has earned itself the title of the oldest Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav of Goa. This year, The PSSGU will be celebrating its diamond jubilee.
Beginning from 1957, it was a small union of some Madgaon bazaarkars who started the Ganeshotsav, and now, the small union has grown to a massive 60-year-old Pimpalkatta Sarvajanik Shri Ganapati Utsav Mandal Trust. The trust is now led by president Motiram Parodkar and vice president Umakant Sawant and has a committee of 25 members.
The celebration has a profound history of lakhs of devotee’s, right from the time it started in 1957. This Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav has the proud privilege of having been able to install an idol at the Pimplaa ped at central Margao and start Goa’s first pre-liberation Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav celebration during the Portuguese regime. Goa was liberated from the Portuguese rule in 1961. The trust still has the register which was used to write the details of the first meeting of the mandal. Sarvashri Tukaram Govind Sawant, Sadanand Borkar, Raghuvir Govind Sawant, Motiram Parodkar, Shivdas Baburao Naik and Ramakant Shridhar Naik were the founders of the Pimpalkatta Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal.
The Madgao bazaarkars have been there, right from the day of inception, giving all the possible help to this oldest Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav. People living near Pimpalkatta have, however, been serving the Sarvajanik Ganesh like their own Ganeshotsav at home. The families of Verlekar, Chari and Kharangate have been playing a major role in the religious ceremonies of the Sarvajanik utsav. The Shrihari Devasthan Mandal have always been helping the trust, and the meetings of the mandal have been happening in this very temple. Various government departments and the MMC too have been providing necessary assistance all these years.
After the liberation, several Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandals began celebrating the Ganesh Chaturthi in a big way in various parts of the state. However, the members of Pimpalkatta Sarvajanik Utsav have been putting all their efforts to celebrate the utsav on a big scale. There were plans to complete 25 years and to stop the celebration on a happy note. Later it was appealed to have new members on the committee and put more force into the entire organisation.
The committee of 1983-84 was led by Pandurang alias Bhai Anant Naik and various changes in the methods of organising the utsav were put in. The Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav was celebrated on a big scale that year. The people too responded very well. Late Mahabaleshwar Borkar led the trust for a period of 14 years and brought in new methods and organisation skills into the trust and the celebration of the oldest Ganeshotsav mandal. The mandal was registered in 1989 and became the first one to have its own office in Margao.
Under the leadership of Late Mahabaleshwar Borkar, a long term plan was decided. The committee resolved to have its own building for all the official purposes and bought a 2700 sq.mt plot at Rumdamol in Davorlim. “The trust is hopeful that the building will soon be ready to serve the people of Goa with the help of all the well-wishers of the trust,” said president Motiram Parodkar.
The Pimpalkatta Sarvajanik Utsav not only organises the 11-day Ganesh Chaturthi celebration but also holds various programmes for the society. For the last 34 years the trust has rendered help to social organisations, schools, students and other needy medical patients too. The trust has spent over 25 lakh rupees for the medical expenses of the needy.
People from all over Goa, with all their prayers and help, have supported the trust, and the 60-year-old mandal now feels that they will never stop the celebrations.
The present committee consists of Motiram Parodkar (president), Umakant Sawant (vice president), Damodar Mahabaleshwar Borkar (treasurer), Abhay Masurkar (general secretary) and members Vitthal Kavlekar, Damodar Naik, Mahesh Mayenkar, Sharad Naik, Subhash Natekar, Prakash Bandodkar, Ulhas Redkar, Digambar Amonkar, Dattakumar Lotliker, Subodh Govekar, Mangesh Naik, Vinay Borkar, Aadesh Karwarkar, Vyankatesh Hegde, Shekhar Chavhan, Pritam Naik, Abhijit Virginkar, Hitesh Lotliker, Ramnath Parsekar, Prakash Shetty and Dilip Kote.
Team TNV