Maharashtrian communities have in this month gathered for Ganeshotsav in cities across the US. This is with a focus on teaching the younger generation the culture and creating spaces for neighbourly connection. For many families in the diaspora, the festival has emerged as a
way to hold on to cultural memory in a country where collective celebrations are hard to sustain.

According to Shyamashree Gaikwad, board of director, MMLA, in Los Angeles, Maharashtra Mandal LA (MMLA) has spent five decades building a base for the
Marathi-speaking community. Adding that for the past 50 years, their mission has been into promotion of Marathi culture, literature, and art within Los Angeles and the Greater LA area. They organise a variety of cultural events amidst Makar Sankranti, Ganeshotsav, Diwali and Shravan Mahotsav to celebrate and preserve Marathi culture.

The mandal also runs a Marathi-medium school at five locations in LA and maintains a library of Marathi books to nurture and promote Marathi literature for future generations.

This year, Ganeshotsav takes place at the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Chino Hills on Sept 6. Gaikwad reveals that the event usually has more than 600 attendees.

In Atlanta, organisers use the festival to highlight the folk traditions of Maharashtra through a collaboration with Kalamanch USA. The programme, titled Lokdhara – Varsa Paramparencha, is being held on Sept 6 at Gokuldham Temple in Buford. The event will have lavani, powada, gondhal, bharud, Koli geet and tamasha, along with devotional songs and instrumental performances.

According to Swapna Kumthekar, President, Maharashtra Mandal Atlanta, Members of their community actively volunteer in various aspects of the event, from decorations, food preparation, stage setup and guest management to cultural programme support and clean-up efforts.

Adding that Volunteering is a form of seva and helps stay connected with cultural traditions while serving the community. Founded in 1980 with just 25 families, Maharashtra Mandal Atlanta has since grown to nearly 950 members.
In the Bay Area, what began as small gatherings in the 1970s has turned out to be one of the largest hubs of Marathi culture in the US. The Maharashtra Mandal Bay Area (MMBA) now has over 10,000 members.
This year, the Ganeshotsav celebrations were held on Aug 31 at Napredak Hall in San Jose with over 2,000 attendees.

Ajinkya Mandhre, Executive Committee Member, MMB, along with the traditional pooja, they also had an array of cultural performances such as Atharva Shirsha, dance, singing, colouring, painting, rangoli competition, Paakkala competition, and so on. There was also a performance through a dance-drama to show domestic violence, social media impact on kids, and terrorism impacts. The mandal offered attendees a taste of home with a catered festive Maharashtrian lunch with shrikhand, matki usal, batata bhaji, masale bhat, kothimbir wadi, and koshambir, while many members also brought homemade dishes as prasad. They hold a grand immersion procession with dhol tasha, lezim and a palkhi for the idol,” Mandhre said. Visarjan was carried out by handing over the eco-friendly idol to a local Hindu temple that immerses it in a larger water body with proper measures in place.
Marathi Mandal of Pittsburgh marked its 39th Ganeshotsav with a blend of tradition and technology. An AI-animated installation depicted the tale of Ganesh and Kartikeya’s race around the world, drawing wide appreciation from visitors.

Rahul Deshmukh, President of the mandal, informs that students from the Pittsburgh Marathi School and nearby universities led performances, underscoring the festival’s role in connecting younger generations to their roots. Ganeshotsav is a symbol of culture, devotion and unity, and this year, the AI decoration and the students’ participation showed how traditions can be preserved while embracing innovation,” said Rahul Deshmukh, president of the mandal.
Members perform aarti every evening at 7.30pm, and the visarjan procession will be held following all local regulations on Sept 7.

Far removed from the crowded pandals of Mumbai and Pune, the celebrations in the US rely on volunteers, borrowed spaces, and improvised rituals to be mindful of local cultures and sensibilities to welcome Bappa with devotion and to send him off in the company of a community.

News Edit KV Raman