For its 80th year, Mumbai's Parelcha Raja Narepark pays tribute to Maharashtra's Warkari tradition of worshipping Lord Vitthal with a towering 23 feet Ganesha idol, for which water was brought in from Pandharpur's Chandrabhaga river.
Somewhere between the darshan queue and the fugadi dancing, between ancient stone pillars and the riverfront, my nine-year-daughter found her own understanding of pilgrimage, says Hemantkumar Shivsharan.
Lord Ganesha comes in various forms and each one lives in your heart. Enjoy these pictures from Rediff readers.
The Bombay High Court has issued a complete ban on bursting firecrackers on public roads and deemed the use of loudspeakers, DJs, and laser beams during religious processions "unwarranted." The court emphasized that festivals must be celebrated without causing noise and air pollution, highlighting the need for strict enforcement of existing regulations.
The Bombay High Court has imposed a complete ban on firecrackers, loudspeakers, DJs, and laser beams on public roads during festival processions, criticising the Maharashtra government for its laxity in implementing noise pollution rules. The court highlighted the severe noise and air pollution caused by such celebrations and called for more dignified ways of observing festivals, noting that current permissions are often ineffective due to official inaction.
A Solapur court has issued a temporary injunction preventing the Pandharpur temple committee from applying a chemical protective coating on the idol of Lord Vitthal. The decision came after devotees argued that modern chemicals violate religious traditions, while the committee cited preservation needs ahead of the Ashadi Ekadashi pilgrimage. The court emphasised the idol's ownership by devotees and the lack of immediate emergency for the controversial coating.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the formation of a committee of women legislators to amend laws and ensure effective implementation against harassment and religious conversion in the corporate sector. This decision follows an incident at a TCS unit in Nashik involving alleged exploitation and forced conversion, which is currently under SIT investigation. Probes have also been ordered into similar complaints at a Spanish multinational in Pune and a government ITI in Solapur, highlighting a broader issue of workplace misconduct.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered probes into multiple allegations of sexual harassment and forced religious conversion at a Spanish multinational in Pune, a government-run ITI in Solapur, and a TCS unit in Nashik. The CM highlighted a pattern of such incidents in corporate firms and suggested forming a panel of women legislators to review existing laws and recommend improvements.
Police in Pune have registered a rioting case against a religious preacher and his supporters after an ink attack on an NCP (SP) spokesperson, following accusations of targeting spiritual leaders.
A 10-year-old girl died in Sangli district, Maharashtra, after allegedly being tortured by her father, who suspected her of stealing money. Her sister was also subjected to similar treatment and is hospitalised. The father has been apprehended and a case has been registered.
'That journey across India has changed me forever.'
In a setback to the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra, BJP candidate Samadhan Autade on Sunday won the by-election to Pandharpur-Mangalvedha Assembly seat in Solapur district by defeating his nearest NCP rival by a margin of over 3,700 votes
Three masked men robbed a State Bank of India branch in Vijayapura, Karnataka, making off with over Rs 20 crore in cash and gold ornaments after tying up the staff. Police are investigating.
The incident took place around 4:15am near Bhigwan on the highway when the car the victims were travelling in halted after the driver wanted to answer nature's call, the official said.
The Nationalist Congress Party is likely to field its senior leader and former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Vijaysinh Mohite Patil from Pandharpur, as his constituency Akluj in western Maharashtra has been reserved for scheduled tribes following delimitation.
Lakhs of devotees congregated at the temple town of Pandharpur on Saturday to witness the maha puja of Lord Vitthal and Rukhmini on the occasion of Ashadhi Ekadashi.
Heavy rains lashed several parts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, on Monday, resulting in one death and the rescue of 48 people from inundated areas. The state received widespread rainfall, with Pune, Satara, Solapur, Raigad, and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) experiencing significant precipitation. Mumbai recorded 135.4 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, leading to waterlogging and power outages in some areas. The India Meteorological Department has predicted more rain in Mumbai over the next 24 hours, accompanied by thunderstorms and strong winds.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi slammed Pakistani politician Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for his "blood would flow in rivers" remark and called former cricketer Shahid Afridi a "joker" for his comment on the Pahalgam terror attack. Owaisi also supported India's decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty and called for Pakistan to be placed on the FATF grey list. He also advocated for cyber attacks against Pakistan.
MF Husain's Untitled (Gram Yatra), a 13-panel masterpiece from the 1950s, has been sold at a Christie's auction in New York for USD 13.8 million, setting a new record for the most expensive work of modern Indian art. The sale nearly doubles the previous record held by Amrita Sher-Gil's "The Story Teller." "Gram Yatra," meaning "village pilgrimage," is considered a cornerstone of Husain's oeuvre, celebrating the diversity of independent India. The painting was acquired by a doctor in Delhi in 1954 and later bequeathed to Oslo University Hospital. The proceeds of the sale will support the training of future doctors at the institution.
Pawar also said it is the moral responsibility of the major Opposition parties in Maharashtra to protect in the state assembly polls the interests of smaller allies, which were part of the coalition in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
"Do you want to see real bunnies?" Parisa gasped in surprise. "Real ones?! Yes please!" So off they went, giggling, to the pet shelter behind one of the homes.
'In Independent India's politics you will not find any leader of a political party who has not contested elections or not held a powerful post.' 'It was only Balasaheb who never contested elections or held a post.' On the occasion of Balasaheb Thackeray's 99th birth anniversary, close aide Subhash Desai recalls vignettes about the Shiv Sena founder.
Gadkari and Singh on Thursday came together to release a book on late Congress leader Ramkrishna More at Pimpri Chinchwad near Pune.
Amid talks of cross-voting, three of the 37 Congress MLAs in Maharashtra skipped a meeting called by the party ahead of the legislative council polls on Friday.
Among the BJP rebels, a notable figure is Gopal Shetty, a two-time MLA and former Lok Sabha member from Mumbai. He has filed his nomination as an independent candidate against the party's official nominee, Sanjay Upadhyay, in Mumbai's Borivali assembly constituency.
The incident occurred when devotees were scrambling to gain entry into Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj Samadhi Mandir in Alandi town, 22 km from Pune city, during the ceremonial procession which is part of the annual Ashadhi Ekadashi pilgrimage to Pandharpur.
'I had told Fadnavisji that I will be with the party till the Lok Sabha election and I will give my 100 per cent to campaign for the BJP. But ultimately I will have to take this decision (to quit the BJP).' 'When I requested him to see this from the point of view of an elder brother, he could not say anything more after that.'
'When you take up a religion or religious issue in an election, it creates a different type of environment and it is not a good thing'
The Maharashtra chief minister on Wednesday performed the 'mahapooja' of Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur on Ashadhi Ekadashi.
The incident took place at Lavanga village in Jat tehsil when the four men hailing from Uttar Pradesh were heading towards the temple town of Pandharpur from Bijapur in Karnataka in a car.
He hailed from Pandharpur in Solapur district.
Over 20,000 people were evacuated to safer places in these three districts. State capital Mumbai too witnessed water-logging in many areas after overnight rains on Thursday.
Reacting to the statement, Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary said "insulting the Sanatan Dharma again and again" has become the habit of the Samajwadi Party and its leaders.
It evoked strong reactions from opposition Congress as well as Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.
With uncertainty looming over the Maha Vikas Aghadi government's stability in the wake of Shiv Sena minister Eknath Shinde camping in Gujarat with some party MLAs, the stand of 29 legislators from smaller parties and Independents is likely to be crucial.
In one of these clips or voice notes, he is heard stating that his company could not come out of the financial crisis it was facing because of the procedure adopted by the financial services firm.
At an event at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai, Modi first flagged off the the CSMT-Solapur Vande Bharat Express and later another semi high-speed train linking the financial capital to Sainagar Shirdi temple town in Ahmednagar district.
The 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly constitutes the electoral college Rajya Sabha elections, scheduled on June 10, and a candidate needs 42 votes to win a seat.
Shinde dismissed his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray's call for mid-term elections.
Defying age and critics Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray made a public appearance on Wednesday to flag off a caravan that will carry son Uddhav's recently published photo book Pahava Vitthal from Mumbai to Pandharpur.
