Keeping up with UP: Ganesh Chaturthi continues to unite as politicians divide

The MNS softened its aggressive campaign after BJP leaders from poll-bound Bihar raised concerns about its negative impact, prompting a crackdown on hooliganism

Mumbai displayed usual devotion and cohesiveness as men, women, and children chanting “Ganpati Bappa Morya” danced this week to drum beats on Ganesh Chaturthi. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and his men could not dare single out the migrants among devotees and ask: “Do you speak Marathi?”

Mumbai displayed usual devotion and cohesiveness as men, women, and children chanting “Ganpati Bappa Morya” danced this week to drum beats on Ganesh Chaturthi (AP Photo)

Weeks before the festival, MNS men were ransacking shops, thrashing those who failed to speak Marathi. The MNS apparently toned down the aggressive campaign after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders from the poll-bound Bihar conveyed their fears about its adverse impact on their prospects and prompted the state government to come down on hooligans.

Mumbai has, for long, benevolently embraced migrants, now largely from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Earlier, the influx came from adjoining southern states or the backward districts of Maharashtra.

Bihar-born Sanjay Nirupam, a former Rajya Sabha member and Shiv Sena leader, has lived in Mumbai for decades and has first-hand experience of Ganesh Chaturthi’s unifying power. He said north Indians, Gujaratis, and south Indians also bring Ganpati home and participate in community-level celebrations. “When Ganpati arrives in a home of a Bihari or a Poorvanchali (Uttar Pradesh), he extends an invitation saying, ‘Ghar Hamar Ganpati aayel hai, Darshan Khatir aonhi [our Ganpati has arrived, please come to pay respects]’.”

The likes of MNS have ignored the intent behind public celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi in their enthusiasm to reclaim their lost political ground. In 1893, freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak transformed a private ritual into community celebrations to unite the public against British rule. Tilak strived for unity by organising processions and large-scale celebrations. MNS and Shiv Sena sought to use it as a divisive tool to consolidate Marathis.

Nirupam recalls how the Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray realised the limited appeal of the “Mumbai for Marathi campaign” and adopted Hindutva at the party’s 1989 Pune convention. Shiv Sena grew thereafter.

But Raj Thackeray, whose vote share in 2025 reduced to 1.5% compared to 6-7% when he started his politics, has not realised the futility of this regressive slogan, even as Ganesh Chaturthi becomes increasingly popular across India.

A major festival in Maharashtra, Telangana, and Karnataka, it has gained popularity in the north too. Many keep Ganpati at home. Does it matter if the devotees chant: “Ganpati Bappa Morya, Agli Baras Tu Jaldi Aa [Hail Lord Ganpati, come back next year!”], instead of “Ganpati Bappa Morya, Pudhachchya Nachya Varshi Lavkar Ya.” Same sentiment and only different languages.

As people move places, they carry their culture and customs to the adopted places while imbibing the same there. Many North Indians celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi with the same spirit as Maharashtrians do.

When KC Pandey, who runs Gargoti Museum in Maharashtra’s Sinnar, went to meet Balasaheb Thackeray in 2001 to invite him to a ceremony with four local lawmakers, he told him he was not a Marathi. Pandey responded that he is a soldier and an Indian. Thackeray smiled and asked, ‘Why have you named your museum Gargoti [derived from a Marathi word]?’ I replied, ‘Majhi aai’ [my mother] and he immediately gave his consent.”

Pandey, who is from Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur, said Thackeray was a true nationalist while Raj Thackeray is only damaging the social fabric.

The links between Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra are deeper and historic. Many Marathi Brahmins migrated to Varanasi, a seat of learning and salvation. Some settled there and retained their culture and language without any opposition. The Marathi community in Varanasi started celebrating Ganesh Utsav in 1898. Tilak visited the city in 1920 and was impressed by the spirit with which the Marathis organised Ganesh Utsav in Varanasi, which otherwise reverberates with the chants of “Har Har Mahadev” round the clock.

The Marathis have been demanding a Maharashtra Bhavan in Varanasi to showcase their culture and customs. They have integrated into the city, speaking Marathi as well as the local dialect.

Ganesh Chaturthi has been growing in Lucknow, with people bringing Ganesh home, besides organising community celebrations. The festival originated from Tilak’s vision to unite. The festival continues to dissolve boundaries. The story of Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra and beyond is about faith and belonging. The tradition travelled from Varanasi to Mumbai and from Gorakhpur to Sinnar as a reminder of the triumph of exchange over exclusion.