Many dhol-tasha pathaks (troupes) lost their equipment in the recent floods in Pune. Meanwhile, young entrepreneur Punit Balan has taken the responsibility to help them out by compensating for their losses.
Dhol-tasha pathaks play a significant role in Pune, which is the cultural capital of Maharashtra. People from across India and the world visit Pune during Ganeshotsav to witness these performances every year. Many pathaks practice for several weeks before Ganeshotsav along the riverbed and keep their instruments and other belongings in makeshift godowns there.
However, the recent floods either swept away or heavily damaged the belongings of many pathaks. Workers and artists of these troupes were worried about how they would procure their lost belongings and instruments again. Balan has come to their rescue.
He met with dhol-tasha pathak members and leading members of Ganesh mandals near Omkareshwar Temple on Sunday. He assessed the losses they suffered in the flood and promised to help the worried workers and heads of various pathaks by compensating for their losses as a devotee of Lord Ganesh.
Members of the troupes and Ganesh mandal workers welcomed his gesture and thanked him from the bottom of their hearts. Balan told them that he had supported Ganesh mandals in the city in the past and would continue to do so in the future. He promised to work towards strengthening Pune’s image as a leading cultural centre.
"A dhol-tasha pathak is not only a major identity of Pune’s Ganesh festival but also a part of Pune’s cultural glory. I believe it is my duty as a Ganesh devotee to help them out and compensate for their losses in this natural calamity. I am satisfied that I could do my bit to help them in their hour of crisis," Balan said.
