On the occasion of Holi Pournima, the Draksha Mahotsav (Grape Festival) was celebrated at Pune's famous Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Mandir on Friday.
The temple was decorated with two thousand kilograms of chemical-free grapes supplied by Sahyadri Farms from Nashik.
Draksha Mahotsav is the temple's annual programme, which is enthusiastically celebrated. Each year, the temple premises are adorned with 2,000 kg of luscious black and green grapes, creating a mesmerising sight for devotees.
These grapes are distributed among various institutions, such as Sassoon General Hospital and Pitashree Old Age Home, as well as among devotees seeking Bappa's blessings.
Sunil Rasane, the chief of the temple trust, said, "In Ayurveda, grapes have great importance for health. Grapes reduce the risk of heart disease. Their consumption reduces the effect of aging on the brain. The fiber present in grapes facilitates bowel movement. They also address blood deficiency in the body and increase hemoglobin levels. Green grapes especially help increase hemoglobin. Therefore, consuming grapes is beneficial for health."
On this occasion, the trust's Vice Presidents Manik Chavan and Balasaheb Paranjape, Treasurer Mahesh Suryavanshi, General Secretary Hemant Rasane, Festival Chief Akshay Godse, Joint Secretary Amol Kedari, President of Suvarnayug Tarun Mandal Prakash Chavan, Chairman and Managing Director of Sahyadri Farms Vilas Shinde, and other office bearers of Sahyadri Farm were also present alongside Rasane.
The Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple is over 130 years old. According to temple authorities, the deity of Lord Ganesha was installed by Dagdusheth Halwai and his wife Lakshmibai after they lost their only son to the plague epidemic, which is why it is called Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati.
