Bengaluru is truly a melting pot of culture with people from different parts of the country making it their home.
Around 2.5 lakh Marathis are believed to be living in Bengaluru and like with every other community, Marathis too have an umbrella cultural organisation, which keeps the community connected through cultural and social events.
It was way back in 1920 that Baburao Joshi established Maharashtra Mandal in Gandhinagar. The outfit went on to become a hub for social and cultural events for the people from the State living here. In 2020, Maharashtra Mandal Bengaluru will complete 100 years and the organisation wants to leave no stone unturned to mark the occasion. “The Maharashtrian community is spread out and though we have satellite cultural outfits in different areas, the community doesn’t come together under one roof. Here, the idea is to bring everyone together,” says Sanjeev Keskar of Maharashtra Mandal.
Stressing on the connection between Maharashtra and Karnataka, Keskar says Shahaji Raje Bhosale, Shivaji’s father lived in Karnataka.
Maharashtra Mandal Building in Gandhinagar is also quite crucial to their scheme of things for it provides accommodation to any Maharashtrians visiting Bengaluru for the first time.
“A canteen, library of important Marathi books and an auditorium where we host Ekakinka , a traditional one-act play are all part of it.”
To celebrate its centenary, Maharashtra Mandal has planned several programmes to be held over two years beginning on February 10 with Jhali Phule Kalyanchi (The flower buds have blossomed) a three-hour musical programme at St. Joseph’s Auditorium, Langford Road.
The programme will feature Marathi singers - Prathamesh Lagathe, Mughda Vaishampayan, Aniruddha Joshi, and Shamika Bhide. We want to build up to the main event sometime around Gudi Padwa in April 2020. After this, we also plan to do Marathi theatre, Marathi film festivals and celebrate our literature, and food too,” says Keskar.
The former President of Indiranagar Mitr Mandal, Keshar says there are about 40 groups in and around Bengaluru which keep organising events and meet-ups during festivals. “Maharashtra Mandal has about 1000 plus members. It is not mandatory for all these groups to join the Mandal but we remain connected with the leaders through our website, and social media platforms. During Ganesh Utsav, Gudi Padwa and other important occasions, we collaborate.”
For their events, Maharashtra Mandal has invited significant personalities such as activist Prakash Amte and Mandakini Amte, writer Vijay Tendulkar and Mohan Agashe. “Pushpa Dravid, artist and Rahul Dravid’s mother is Maharashtrian and involved with the association. We have also got immense support from Infosys Foundation, Sudha Murthy, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and Rohini Nilekani.”
(For more information visit www.nmbangalore.org)
