Attended by well over 600 people, this year’s Ganesh Utsav, organised by the Brisbane Maharashtra Mandal (BRIMM) committee, was a jam-packed programme. The event is an avenue for new immigrants to meet the old, speak the Marathi language, enjoy the Marathi culture, and be the Maharashtrian they truly are.
Cr. Fiona Cunnigham also attended the function and addressed the community as well as enjoyed the various performances. Apart from Cr. Fiona Cunnigham, Mrs. Archana Singh, Hon. Consul. India, also attended the utsav. She was impressed by the performances and said that more local traditional dances from India should be performed and shown on stage for the international audience. Other dignitaries who were present at the Maharashtrian event were Dr. Ram Mohan, FICQ president, accompanied by his wife, and Ms. Kerrie Woodrow and also Damini Women’s Association President Lila Pratap.
The event started with Dhol Tasha Miravnook, and as is widely known in home nation, no Maharashtrian will miss a chance to dance on the tunes of Dhol Tasha. The Utsav then had a pooja component, performed by Bhushan Joshi to install the Ganpati for Brisbane Maharashtra Mandal, and Joshi has been doing it for the past four years now.
Apart from the religious traditions, this event also featured stage performances from members of BRIMM, including a variety of dances ranging from folk dances such as Lavni, Koli, Garba to classical dances such as Kathak. Infinity Kathak Group performed an excellent show of Kathak Dance form and mesmerised the audience. Members also showcased their acting talents through an excellent skit performance by Gram Sabha group. A Marathi show is never complete without singing. Singing the Aarti “Sukha Karta, Dukha Harta” brings with it the pride of being a Maharashtrian. On one hand it showcases the tradition as well as the religious belief while on the other it teaches the language and pronunciations one needs to keep in mind when articulating the aarti. The event saw children of Sargam Academy singing Jai Ganesh Deva, Asmita Mahadik singing melodious Marathi songs, and Vikrant Deokar singing a medley of Hindi and Marathi songs.
The venue Coorparoo Secondary School proved to be an excellent choice, as it was convenient with lots of parking for patrons and attendees and a separate space for dinning. Food was arranged by Mahindra Shinde who served the 600 people present there. BRIMM had received a grant from the Coorparoo Ward for organizing the Ganesh Utsav 2019.
Overall it was an excellent function which was organised, executed, and attended by the Maharashtrian diaspora in Brisbane.