Ganesha festival at Gadag sets example of communal and religious harmony

GADAG:  At a time when there are communal incidents in different parts of the state, here is a village where Muslims and Hindus come together to celebrate the Ganesha festival in a grand manner. Kalasapur, 5 km from Gadag town, has been setting an example of communal and religious harmony for the last eight years.

There were no celebrations last two years because of Covid, but it is back this year. Members of the Anjuman-e-Islam committee and other Muslims started raising funds over the last two weeks after village elders planned a united celebration. The Ganesha idol will be installed and the festival celebrated for 11 days. On Wednesday, the day of the festival, members from both communities will participate in pujas and rituals. The idol will be worshipped twice a day. On the last day, the idol will be taken through the village in a procession before immersing it.

People from surrounding villages and Gadag town visit this village to witness the unique celebration. Kalasapur Ganesha is now known as the ‘Communal harmony Ganesha’. Thanks to such overtures, the village has not seen a single communal clash to date. If ever there are small incidents, elders from both communities sit together and resolve them.

Villagers said, “Hindus too participate in Ramzan and other Muslim festivals. We have heard of hijab, Ganesh dangal and other communal disturbances in other parts of the state, but we will not allow such incidents to occur in our village.”