Ganeshotsav Declared as Maharashtra’s State Festival – Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar

Raigad – Ganeshotsav has been officially declared as the State Festival of Maharashtra, and its official blueprint has also been announced. From this year onward, the festival will be celebrated with renewed enthusiasm, announced Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar, urging citizens to come together in celebration.

Minister Shelar was felicitated by local idol-makers at Hamrapur, Tambadshet in Pen, where he addressed the gathering.

Also present at the event were MP Dhairyashil Patil, MLAs Ravindra Patil, Prashant Thakur, Mahesh Baldi, former Municipal Chairperson Mrs. Pritam Patil, former Zilla Parishad Member Neelima Patil, and office bearers of the idol-makers’ association including Abhay Mhatre, Kunal Patil, Nitin Mokal, Hitesh Jadhav, Sunil Patil, and a large number of Ganesh idol artisans.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Shelar said, “It was our duty to resolve the threat posed to the festival due to environmental concerns related to POP (Plaster of Paris). We fought in the High Court and successfully proved that POP, when used properly, does not cause pollution.” He expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for their guidance, which enabled them to overcome the crisis surrounding POP idols.

He added that the decision has saved the livelihoods of lakhs of workers in the state. “The government stood united with the idol-making community and fought for our traditional festivals—and we won. This is a significant victory for cultural preservation,” he affirmed.

MP Dhairyashil Patil remarked that lakhs of idol-makers whose livelihoods depended on the production of Ganesh idols were under serious threat due to the POP ban. “It is our solemn duty to publicly honor Minister Shelar for lifting this crisis,” he said. He also thanked Shelar for helping 12 forts of Maharashtra receive international recognition.

MLAs Ravindra Patil and Prashant Thakur also shared their thoughts and support during the event.

The event was compered by Milind Patil, while the vote of thanks was delivered by idol-maker Kunal Patil.