Woman saint leads Pooja at Pune’s iconic Dagduseth Temple

Pune, September 6: It was a record of sorts created at Pune’s iconic and most historical religious deity’s Shrimant Dagdu Seth Halwai Ganpati Mandir Trust  sanctum sanctorum  on Tuesday morning when a woman saint Parampujya Yogini Vena Bharti Didi, a reknowned saint belonging to Shree Gajanan Maharaj School of thought, Shegaon located in Buldhana district of Maharashtra.

Didi known for her spiritual mentoring has a strong following across the state and is currently based in Nashik where she runs her Temple along with a dedicated band of followers popularly known as Guru Bandhu.

Didi lead a special pooja entitled “ Ganeshyaag ” in the pandal which began as early as 9 am and continued till 3 pm. She led a priestly gathering of over 25 male priests who performed the Pooja along with the reverential Saint. Trust Chairman Ashok Godse said that the special pooja was done by Didi as she has the spiritual credentials for performing the Pooja. It has set the Ganesha Poojan in different spiritual formats rolling and we had invited devotees from different section of the society to take blessings from the recitation. The priest present on the occasion also announced  that Didi was the first lady sanyasin in the state to have done the honours of the special Pooja.

Did’s daughter Maitreyee Ambade who was also present during the Pooja said that it was an honour for her mother to have rendered the Ganesh Pooja at India’s most famous Ganesh deity. “ Our Guru has ventured beyond the realms of spirituality and is a shining example of her love for humanity through selfless devotion for the cause of the human beings. Besides, her spirituality is well known across the length and breadth of the country and devouts find peace and solace in her teaching under divine guidance ,” she added.

The deity of Lord Ganesha was incepted by Shri Dagdusheth Halwai and his wife Lakshmibai way back, when they lost their only son to the plague epidemic. Every year the Ganapati festival was celebrated with deep faith and enthusiasm not only by Dagdusheth’s family but the entire neighbourhood. Tatysaheb Godse, then in his early youth, was a zestful participant in the celebrations. In later years when Lokmanya Tilak made Ganapati festival a public celebration to bring people together for the freedom struggle, Dagdusheth Ganapati became the most respected and popular idol in Pune.

Under the aegis of Dagdusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganapati Trust, they started several social initiatives including educational and financial support to deprived children, micro finance to small businessmen and vendors through Suvarnayug Sahakari Bank, old age home, rehabilitation of workers working at brick kilns to name only a few.

Today Dagdusheth Halwai Sarvajanik Ganapati Trust, by Lord Ganesha’s blessings has flourished into a veteran organization that is gratified to worship the Lord through its service to humanity.