Pathare Prabhu Ganpati Celebrations

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Simply stunning!!! Never seen anything like this before! The Pathare Prabhu community continues to enthrall with their customs and beliefs.For over 100 years,restauranteur Rahul Velkar's home has had Ganpati celebrations.His is one of the most prestigious families of the Pathare Prabhu community.





Every year on the first day,the Naivedya Taat is the same on the first day and consists of Ukadiche Modak (Steamed dumplings with sweet coconut mixture),Godi Batati (spicy potatoes),Shirali Watane (Peas and Ridge Gourd),Kale Watana Bhendi (Black dried peas with okra),Sambare (coconut gravy),Pathwad (colocasia leaves stuffed with dal mixture,rolled and fried),Shev (steamed rice noodles) served with sweet masala milk,steamed rice and dal (varan bhaat) and poories.At Rahul and Devika Velkar's home,the celebrations are for one and half days.You can watch the video of the celebrations here 


We were given Mesoor (honeycombed sweet made of gram flour from Phutanebai) as prasad.


Khelatle Ganpati or the child version was the one all kids would go out and decorate with their most precious toys.Rahul Velkar's family had a sprawling bungalow (a home that Kunal Vijayakar remembers fondly,having spent many a childhood day there) at Mahalaxmi so the display had no constraint....model cars,railways,fountains,landscapes,you name it! Silverware is typical of Pathare Prabhus.

Earlier Rahul's mother Mrs Suhas Velkar used to make the Ganpati herself.She taught her nephew Kunal Vijayakar who has made the beautiful Ganpati below out of Shadoo,an organic material.





Bimba Nayak mentioned some other typical Pathare Prabhu food items like Umbar (sweet made of banana),Ghuravlya(sweet puri),puran (made of gram flour).Some families welcome the Goddess Gauri with non vegetarian food like Crabs,Prawns,Pomfret,Fish Roe and Mutton.Kerolya made of banana is also served.She mentioned how earlier there used to be  a family Ganpati but now with nuclear families,each family has one.

Credits for all pictures:Kunal Vijayakar

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