Raigad: Ganesh Chaturthi is being celebrated with great devotion and pomp across the country today. In such a situation, when we think about Konkan, a different scene of Ganesh Puja comes in front of us. There is a unique village in Mangaon taluka of Raigad district where all these traditions are reversed.
We know the picture of Bappa’s arrival in every house, the noise of aartis, the beats of drums and cymbals, the worship of festival idols going on day and night, but there is a unique village in Mangaon taluka of Raigad district, where the idol of Ganesh is not installed in any house. Despite this, Ganeshotsav is celebrated there with the same devotion. The name of this village is ‘Sale’.
The procession starts from Ganga Lake
The idol of Ganesh is not installed in any of the approximately 125 houses of the village. Ganesh ji’s procession is taken out from Ganga Lake with the sound of drums. This palanquin is welcomed from house to house, Bappa is worshipped and then the procession returns back to the temple.
This is the tradition
The tradition of ‘one village, one Ganpati’ has been going on for generations in this village. The present generation does not know exactly when this tradition started, but this culture has been kept alive for hundreds of years. Instead of celebrating Ganeshotsav from house to house, coming together and collectively worshipping Ganpati is a unique tradition of Sale village.
Due to this festival, not only the villagers, but also the Konkan people working in Mumbai-Pune, devotees of Mahervasini and Panchkroshi enter the village in large numbers. In a single day, the whole village gathers around one Ganpati and celebrates the festival with devotion.
The tradition of ‘one village, one Ganpati’
Every year, a large number of people eagerly reach Sale village to see this unique festival that gives a new dimension to Ganeshotsav. Ganeshotsav: Though there is a tradition of worshipping Bappa in every household, but in Saale village of Raigad, the tradition of ‘one village, one Ganpati’ makes it completely different.
