Archive · 1 Sep 2026
Dagdusheth Ganpati Replicas Bring Ganeshotsav To Border Troops
Ganeshotsav is a festival during which people celebrate Lord Ganesh.
Soldiers stationed far from their homes often cannot travel to Pune for the celebrations.
To help them feel connected to home, a Pune trust gave them small replicas of the famous Dagdusheth Ganpati idol.
The replicas are about two feet tall.
They were given to soldiers from several Maratha Light Infantry units.
The idols will be installed at posts in places such as Kargil, Jammu, Ayodhya and Rajasthan.
Soldiers asked for the idols because the festival is important to their families and traditions.
The program has continued since 2011.
Organizers say it helps bring together soldiers serving far from home and the communities they protect.
Two-foot-tall replicas of Pune’s Dagdusheth Ganpati idol were given to Maratha Light Infantry units.
The replicas are being sent to Kargil, Jammu, Ayodhya, Rajasthan and other locations.
The initiative began after soldiers requested the revered idol for their remote-posting celebrations.
The Dagdusheth Ganpati Trust and Suvarnayug Tarun Mandal have supported the effort.
The tradition began in 2011 and has entered its 16th consecutive year.
- Who
- The Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganpati Trust, Suvarnayug Tarun Mandal and soldiers of Maratha Light Infantry units.
- What
- Two-foot-tall replicas of Pune’s Dagdusheth Ganpati idol were provided for soldiers’ Ganeshotsav celebrations.
- When
- The idols were handed over recently ahead of Ganeshotsav; the tradition began in 2011 and is in its 16th consecutive year.
- Where
- The replicas were handed over at the Dagdusheth Ganpati temple in Pune and dispatched to Kargil, Jammu, Ayodhya, Rajasthan and other locations.
- Why
- Soldiers requested the idol to maintain an emotional connection with home, family and tradition while serving at remote postings.
- Replica height
- Two feet
- Participating units
- 24, 5, 19 and 1 Maratha Light Infantry units
- Destinations mentioned
- Kargil, Jammu, Ayodhya and Rajasthan
- Tradition began
- 2011
- Current milestone
- 16th consecutive year
- Organizations involved
- Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganpati Trust and Suvarnayug Tarun Mandal
- Festival
- Ganeshotsav