Winners felicitated by Cultural Affairs Minister Adv. Ashish Shelar
Morya Ganesh Mandal from Sangli wins first place at the state level
Maharashtra Mandal in Hong Kong receives top honour at the international level
Rajan Vishnu Patkar receives the first-ever ‘Weling-Khatu Ganesh Sculptor’ Award
Mumbai, October 2026: Morya Ganesh Mandal from Yedenipani village in Sangli district secured first place at the state level in the ‘State-Level Best Public Ganeshotsav Mandal Competition 2026’, organised by the Maharashtra Government’s Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs.
Chhatrapati Public Ganesh Mandal, Deepnagar, from Nanded district secured second place, while Swarajya Ganesh Mandal, Devnandra, from Parbhani district finished third.
At the international level, Maharashtra Mandal in Hong Kong won first place, while Maharashtra Samaj Seva Samiti from Dehradun secured the top position at the national level. Rajan Vishnu Patkar became the first recipient of the ‘Weling-Khatu Ganesh Sculptor’ Award, introduced for the first time this year.
The awards ceremony for the winning mandals was held on October 16 at Ravindra Natya Mandir in Prabhadevi, Mumbai. Cultural Affairs Minister Adv. Ashish Shelar presented the awards and certificates to the winners.
Shelar said the state government was working to secure global heritage recognition for the Ganeshotsav festival. The competition has been expanded to the taluka level, and traditions, stories and cultural features associated with Ganeshotsav celebrations in India and abroad will be documented on the Bappa.org platform.
He added that efforts were also underway to include Ganeshotsav in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
International and National Winners
At the international level, Maharashtra Mandal, Hong Kong, secured first place. The Edogawa India Culture Centre in Tokyo, Japan, associated with Yogendra Puranik, the first Indian-origin elected assembly member in Japan, won second place. Hessen Indian Ladies Association and Pioneer Indians e.V., Germany, secured third place.
At the national level, Maharashtra Samaj Seva Samiti, Dehradun, won first place, followed by Shri Ram Yuvak Mandal, Belagavi, in second place and Ganraya Ganesh Utsav Mandal, Gujarat, in third place.
District-Level Winners
Mumbai Metropolitan Region
In Mumbai City district, Panchganga Public Festival Mandal secured first place, followed by Shri Hanuman Seva Mandal in second place and Shivaji Park Public Ganeshotsav Mandal in third place.
In Mumbai Suburban district, Swaprakshay Mitra Mandal Public Ganeshotsav, Model Town, Andheri West, won first place. Balmitra Kala Mandal–Vikhroli Cha Moraya secured second place, while BEST Nagar Ganeshotsav Mandal, Borivali, finished third.
In Thane district, Swarajya Pandit Nana Mitra Mandal, Bhiwandi, secured first place. Chintamani Public Ganesh Utsav Mandal, Vashi, won second place, followed by Shri Motha Ganpati Ganeshotsav Mandal, Murbad, in third place.
In Palghar district, Vriksha Mitra Mandal, Pasthal, won first place, followed by Tarun Mitra Mandal, Vanagaon Patil Pada, in second place and Shri Sainath Mitra Mandal, Vasai, in third place.
In Raigad district, Bal Mitra Mandal–Pethecha Raja, Mahad, secured first place. Shri Yuva Mitra Mandal–Kamothecha Vighnaharta won second place, while Kalkai Mata Sports and Social Organisation, Poladpur, secured third place.
Konkan Region
In Ratnagiri district, Yuva Ganesh Mitra Mandal, Nive Budruk, won first place. Jaitapurcha Raja Public Ganeshotsav Mandal secured second place, followed by Shri Ratnagiricha Raja Public Utsav Mitra Mandal in third place.
In Sindhudurg district, Public Ganeshotsav Mandal, Salaiwada, secured first place. Inamdar Shri Dev Rameshwar Sansthan, Kasba Achare, won second place, while Shri Navdurga Public Ganesh Mandal, Ayee, secured third place.
Western Maharashtra
In Pune district, Potsulya Maruti Mandal secured first place, Utkrushta Tarun Mandal won second place, and Madhuban Mitra Mandal, Pimpri-Chinchwad, finished third.
In Satara district, Shri Sawaleshwar Vyapari Ganesh Utsav Mandal, Pusegaon, won first place. The Public Ganesh Mahotsav organised by Ganesh Cooperative Milk Producers’ Institution secured second place, while Public Sports Ganeshotsav Mandal, Sawali, finished third.
In Sangli district, Morya Ganesh Mandal won first place, Tiranga Ganeshotsav Mandal, Vita, secured second place, and Nath Yuva Association, Kharsundi, finished third.
In Kolhapur district, Shri Chhatrapati Vyayam Mandal, Ichalkaranji, secured first place. Rajarampuri Sports Tarun Mandal won second place, while Shri Ganesh Tarun Mandal, Dhengwadi, secured third place.
In Solapur district, Shri Jagdamba Ganeshotsav Cultural and Social Sports Mandal won first place. Jai Maharashtra Tarun Ganesh Mitra Mandal, Kumbhej, secured second place, while Wadicha Raja Ganeshotsav Mandal, Nagnewadi, finished third.
North Maharashtra
In Nashik district, Public Ganeshotsav Mandal, Kille Kavanai, secured first place, followed by Welcome Sahakarya Mitra Mandal in second place and Shri Nilmani Ganesh Temple Public Trust, Nandgaon, in third place.
In Dhule district, Vande Mataram Pratishthan secured first place.
In Jalgaon district, Jai Matribhumi Public Ganeshotsav Mandal, Bhusawal, won first place. Jagruti Mitra Mandal, Bhadgaon, secured second place, while Azad Sports and Cultural Mitra Mandal, Jalgaon, finished third.
In Nandurbar district, Shri Kshatriya Mali Navyuvak Ganesh Mandal, Taloda, won first place, while Sant Shiromani Kabirdas Vyayamshala secured second place.
Ahilyanagar and Marathwada
In Ahilyanagar district, Suvarnayug Tarun Mandal, Pathardi, secured first place. Shivgarjana Pratishthan won second place, while Dnyanvidya Multipurpose Organisation, Sangamner, finished third.
In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, Jai Hind Group Ganesh Mandal won first place, Kuber Pratishthan secured second place, and Maharana Pratap Ganesh Mandal, Sillod, finished third.
In Beed district, Jai Kisan Ganesh Mitra Mandal, Dharur, secured first place. The second- and third-place results have been withheld for administrative reasons.
In Jalna district, Shri Chhatrapati Ganesh Mandal, Ambad, won first place, while Raje Sambhaji Ganesh Mandal, Partur, secured second place.
In Dharashiv district, Shri Bal Hanuman Ganesh Mandal secured first place, followed by Hansraj Ganesh Mandal, Paranda, in second place.
In Nanded district, Chhatrapati Public Ganesh Mandal, Deepnagar, won first place. Shri Bhakti Ganesh Mandal, Biloli, secured second place, while Shri Aparanpar Ganesh Mandal, Mudkhed, finished third.
In Parbhani district, Swarajya Ganesh Mandal, Devnandra, won first place. Shri Rambag Ganesh Mandal, Selu, secured second place, while Shri Pavan Krida Mandal and Gymnasium, Malegaon, finished third.
In Hingoli district, Vrikshagajanan Ganesh Mandal, Ajegaon, won first place. Vighnaharta Ganesh Mandal, Kalamnuri, secured second place, while Hingolicha Raja Ganesh Mandal finished third.
In Latur district, Swarajya Public Ganesh Mandal, Sainagar, Ahmedpur, secured first place. Paramveer Ganesh Mandal Charitable Trust won second place, while Rena Sugar Ganesh Mandal, Renapur, finished third.
Vidarbha Region
In Amravati district, Bal Ganesh Mandal, Gopgavhan, won first place. Shri Bajrang Ganeshotsav Mandal, Patvipura, secured second place, while Lokmanya Utsav Samiti, Shindi Budruk, finished third.
In Akola district, Lokmanya Tilak Ganesh Utsav Mandal, Patur, won first place, while Marwadi Press Ganesh Utsav Mandal, Akola, secured second place.
In Buldhana district, Navyuvak Ganesh Mandal, Varwat Bakal, secured first place. Navyuvak Public Ganesh Utsav Mandal, Panhera Khedi, won second place, while Public Bhakti Ganesh Mahila Mandal finished third.
In Yavatmal district, Omkareshwar Ganesh Mandal, Pusad, won first place. Riddhi Siddhi Ganesh Mandal, Umarkhed, secured second place, while Public Ganesh Mandal, Bhandari (J), Arni, finished third.
In Washim district, Shri Maratha Ganesh Utsav Mandal, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Nagar, Karanja, secured first place.
In Nagpur district, Siddharth Society Ganeshotsav Mandal, Nagpur Rural, won first place. Shri Santi Ganeshotsav and Cultural Mandal, Nagpur City, secured second place, while Navyuvak Ganesh Utsav Samiti, Saoner, finished third.
In Bhandara district, Priyadarshini Ganeshotsav Mandal and Bharat Sevak Shikshan Sanstha, Pauni, secured first place. Hanuman Vyayamshala Ganeshotsav Mandal, Mohgaon Devi, won second place, while Bhandaryacha Raja Pratishthan finished third.
In Chandrapur district, Ekdant Ganesh Utsav Mandal, Nagbhid, won first place. Shri Bal Ganesh Mandal, Neri, secured second place, while New Sanmitra Yuvak Krida Ganesh Mandal, Ballarpur, finished third.
In Gadchiroli district, Lokmanya Ganesh Mandal secured first place, while Shri Public Ganesh Yuva Ganesh Mandal, Etapalli, won second place.
In Gondia district, Radha Krishna Ganesh Utsav Mandal, Mundipar, secured first place. Bal Ganesh Utsav Mandal, Sadak Arjuni, won second place, while Navjyot Ganesh Utsav Mandal, Gondia, finished third.
In Wardha district, Bal Ganesh Utsav Mandal, Samudrapur, secured first place.
A Total of 141 Mandals Recommended for Awards
During the selection process conducted between September 14 and 25, 2026, the selection committee recommended a total of 141 Ganeshotsav mandals for recognition. These included three at the international level, three at the national level, three at the state level, 94 at the district level and 38 at the taluka level.
The mandals securing first place in their respective categories were honoured by Minister Ashish Shelar with cash prizes and certificates.
At the event, Shelar also released devotional hymns dedicated to the Goddess. The songs were written by lyricist Prahlad Jadhav, sung by Sampada Mane and composed by Kaushal Inamdar.
Those present included Meenal Joglekar, Director of the P. L. Deshpande Maharashtra Kala Academy; Nanda Raut, Deputy Secretary in the Department of Cultural Affairs; music composer Kaushal Inamdar; and Maithili Kale, among other dignitaries.
