Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati: Lt Gen Pushkar, Saina Nehwal Among VVIP Visitors

Pune: General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Southern Command, Lieutenant General Rajesh Pushkar, ace badminton player Saina Nehwal and NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar were among the prominent personalities who visited the historic Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati Mandal in Pune on Saturday and offered prayers to Lord Ganesha during the ongoing Ganeshotsav.

After seeking Bappa’s blessings, Lt Gen Rajesh Pushkar spoke about his experience of witnessing Pune’s traditional Ganeshotsav celebrations.

“It feels wonderful and blessed to be here. Festivals are celebrated differently across the country, and experiencing Pune’s Ganeshotsav is a great feeling,” the Army Commander said.

Saina Nehwal, who has a long association with Pune through her sporting career, recalled some of her memorable moments in the city and said Pune continues to hold a special place in her journey.

“Pune holds a special place in my journey. I have many memories here, including becoming World Champion and winning the Commonwealth Games. We must stay united, preserve our traditions and support young athletes,” Nehwal said.

The badminton star also highlighted the importance of creating better opportunities for young sportspersons. She said India’s youth could achieve much more with the right support from families, improved opportunities and stronger sporting infrastructure.

“The youth are the future of the country. With the right support from parents, better opportunities and stronger sports infrastructure, our young generation can achieve much more and bring greater recognition to India,” she said.

Nehwal also expressed hope that India would continue strengthening its sporting ecosystem and work towards hosting the Olympics.

“I hope India moves towards becoming a strong sporting nation and hosts the Olympics. We need to keep working towards the future,” she said.

Meanwhile, Rohit Pawar spoke about Ajit Pawar during his visit and said he was missed during this year’s Ganeshotsav.

“We missed Ajit Pawar this Ganeshotsav and I hope he gets justice soon. I also prayed for farmers facing drought-like conditions and for MPSC students,” Pawar said.

The historic mandal witnessed a large turnout of devotees during the festival, with people arriving throughout the day to seek Bappa’s blessings.

Punit Balan, Festival Head of Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati Mandal, said several celebrities and VVIPs had been visiting the mandal during the celebrations.

“A lot of celebrities and VVIPs are coming to offer prayers and seek Bappa’s blessings because they have faith in him. We are managing the entire Ganeshotsav well and have made several arrangements for the convenience of devotees considering the large number of visitors,” Balan said.

The Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati Mandal, one of Pune’s historic public Ganpati mandals, has remained a major attraction during the ongoing Ganeshotsav.

The visits by prominent personalities from the armed forces, sports and political fields added to the festive atmosphere as devotees continued to throng the mandal for darshan and prayers.

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