How Ganesh Chaturthi grew into a community festival

By Aaditya Nath Mathur

What began as a household celebration of Lord Ganesha over the past century has become a large-scale public festival bringing together communities in devotion, celebration, and civic pride. From Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s nineteenth-century initiative of collective gatherings to present-day sponsorships, technological interventions, and civic organisation, Ganesh Chaturthi has grown into one of India’s grandest festivals. Mandals and pandals today embody the intersection of faith, charity, and cultural performance, becoming vibrant spaces for devotion and community engagement.

The modern, public form of Ganesh Chaturthi dates to the late 1800s, when leaders such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak promoted large public celebrations as a way to bring people together despite colonial restrictions on assemblies.

In cities like Mumbai, the festival’s scale soon turned into an enormous social and cultural phenomenon. Local mandals began organising elaborate idols, decorations, and processions, supported by artisans, residents, and donors. Over time, control over prominent pandals also became a matter of civic pride and a symbol of organisational ability. Archival accounts note how festival committees developed into structured associations, where community service, fundraising, and coordination played a central role in strengthening social bonds.

Sponsors, Celebrities, and Data

Today, Ganesh Chaturthi is shaped not just by devotion but also by modern forms of visibility. Large pavilions increasingly carry corporate sponsorships, branded partnerships, and appearances by high-profile guests. These collaborations amplify the limelight for organisers.

The use of technology — AI-generated visuals, livestreams, and crowdfunding platforms — has further expanded the reach of mandals. Donor tracking, digital campaigns, and mass online participation have made patronage measurable and scalable. In a sense, the festival has embraced the “currency of visibility,” where spectacles reach millions of viewers both physically and virtually.

Case Snapshots: Local Pushback and Mass Spectacle

Two contemporary dynamics highlight the festival’s complexity. In some contexts, residents or organisers have resisted excessive commercial or celebrity intrusion into pandals, preferring to preserve a more localised, community-oriented flavour. Conversely, the massive visarjan processions in metropolitan areas remain unifying moments, where lakhs of citizens come together in joy, music, and prayer. Reports on immersion counts and organised mandal routes underscore both the scale and the civic coordination required for these public celebrations.

Why Ganesh Chaturthi Works as a Community Stage

Now that the statement has been made, let’s talk about how exactly the festival works as a stage for community spirit and cultural expression:

1. Ritual Legitimacy
For millions of Indians, Ganesh Chaturthi is not merely a festival but one with deep religious and emotional significance. Public involvement — from organising pandals to distributing prasad or joining visarjans — carries a sense of moral authority. It presents service to the deity and the community as an act of devotion.

2. Density of Social Networks
At the core of the festival lie the mandals, intricate social units bringing together families, artisans, vendors, and volunteers. These networks transcend religious practice to include charity work and community organising. By supporting mandals — whether through donations, logistics, or voluntary service — participants become part of trust-based systems that extend beyond the festival.

3. The Power of Spectacle
The grandeur of Ganesh Chaturthi is unmatched — elaborate idols, themed pandals, vibrant music, and majestic visarjan processions. These spectacles are naturally media-friendly, creating visuals amplified across television and social platforms. The sheer scale makes the festival a cultural landmark, reinforcing bonds of generosity, tradition, and collective belonging.

Commercialisation, Community Risks and Environmental Concerns

With scale, however, come challenges. Corporate sponsorships and celebrity appearances can sometimes shift focus from devotion to spectacle. Excessive commercialisation may overshadow local traditions.

The festival also risks becoming a flashpoint for disagreements when themes, decorations, or practices are perceived as exclusionary. Moreover, environmental concerns remain pressing — immersion of idols in natural water bodies contributes to pollution. Civic authorities and organisers are increasingly supporting eco-friendly idols, artificial immersion tanks, and sustainable practices, turning the festival into an important arena for environmental awareness and responsibility.

Ritual as Republic — What the Festival Reveals 

The transformation of Ganesh Chaturthi from a household ritual to a massive public celebration mirrors India’s social and cultural evolution. The festival illustrates how devotion, civic organisation, and modern market forces coexist — sometimes in harmony, sometimes in tension.

For citizens, the pandals remain spaces of devotion, belonging, negotiation, and pride. As digital media, environmental regulation, and changing social norms influence the festival, the central question is whether Ganesh Chaturthi can continue to serve as a genuine site of community engagement — or whether it risks becoming primarily a stage for spectacle.