Pune: Dublin will transform for 10 days from Aug 27 as 8,000 people come together to participate in processions and rituals, while sharing meals for Ganeshotsav.The Ganesh festival began with a few hundred devotees and has become one of the largest community gatherings in Ireland over just three years. It is supported by the Garda, the national police service.Aditya Kulkarni founded the Maharashtra Mandal Ireland in 2023 and has since led the effort. Kulkarni grew up in Pune’s Katraj before moving to Dublin for work eight years ago. “The festival has expanded rapidly. This is our third year and we are planning the festivities on a big scale with the support of the Garda. The 10-day celebrations will be held at the Vedic Hindu Cultural Center in Sunbury Industrial Estate. The Irish community supports us a lot. They are curious and respond with excitement when we organise events,” he told TOI.The celebrations started with little awareness, but have grown into an anchor of cultural identity for the Indian diaspora and a welcome attraction for Irish locals. Each day of the festival will be hosted by a different Indian community. Bengali, Odiya, Punjabi, Gujarati groups and others will lead rituals and cultural programmes. Members will donate raw materials and cook meals to be distributed to thousands expected to attend.“Over 60 people will gather daily in kitchens to prepare food — from bhog to festive meals — with the much-loved ukadiche modak as the highlight of the festival. Last year, we cooked for 3,500 people, but over 5,000 showed up and we ran out of food. This year, we are better prepared to accommodate a larger number of attendees. About 10%-20% participants are Irish,” Kulkarni added.The celebrations will culminate on Sept 6 with visarjan at a nearby park which has a lake. The day will feature prize distributions for community competitions, children’s fancy dress and a grand finale bringing the 10 days to a close. The chief guest for the visarjan is Jennifer Murray — a Tallaght resident who became a symbol of solidarity when she stopped to help an Indian man brutally attacked in a racist incident earlier this year. “We want everybody to celebrate along with the Indian community. The Garda will also be present,” Murray said.Her presence on the final day adds emotional weight to the festival. What began as a small gathering of families has grown into a celebration where compassion, music, food and devotion meet. Amid the sound of dhol, the sweetness of modaks and support of Irish friends, Dublin is preparing to give Lord Ganesh a welcome filled with belonging.
