BENGALURU: During the weeks before Ganesha Chaturthi, one gets accustomed to seeing people going door-to-door, collecting funds for the festival to set up pandals. However, in Vidyaranyapura, residents began this practise almost two weeks after the festival. They are also asking for funds in the name of Ganesh, not the god, but a mortal priest.
Ganesh Bhatt is the pradhan archak (head priest) of the Ganesha temple at BEL layout in Vidyaranyapura.
He has been undergoing dialysis for his kidney-related ailments and residents who frequent the temple are seeking funds to help him. The temple is more than 30 years old and Bhatt has been working there as a priest from the time it was opened. He is now 60 years old and has to spend Rs. 12,000 for every dialysis session.
For more than three decades, Bhatt, who stays in an outhouse within the premises, opened the temple to visitors between 5.30 am and 11.30 am and again between 4.30 pm and 9 pm. Bhatt had undergone a few sittings in the past weeks and news of his illness reached the community on Friday when he was not to be seen. A group of devotees went to Tridhara Community Development Society, an NGO which is helping them crowdfund his treatments.
Shreekanth B R, Secretary of the TCDS told TNIE that a group of 40, including devotees, local residents and volunteers had been formed. “For the past two days, they have been visiting every house, urging people to donate for this cause. In fact, many have been quite supportive. This is one of the oldest temples in this locality and several people across generations know Bhatt. Some were born and grew up in front of his eyes and they share an emotional connect with the temple and its archak,” he said.
Many staying abroad have also expressed their willingness to send money. “We are very fond of him. He is a selfless man who would bless anyone without regard for caste, creed or amount of donation. Working in a temple without any expectation shows his noble nature. He does not have medical insurance and no company will come forward now to insure him. The best thing to do would be to pool money and help him. We will collect donations till September 25,” Shreekanth said.