Overview

• The state legislature formalized the over-a-century-old public Ganeshotsav as Maharashtra’s official festival to enshrine its cultural legacy.
• A Kakodkar Committee environmental review, endorsed by Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, resulted in the removal of court-imposed restrictions on Plaster of Paris idols.
• Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar urged Ganpati mandals to feature themes honoring India’s armed forces, social initiatives and developmental milestones.
• The government pledged to cover police deployment and infrastructure upgrades in major cities like Mumbai and Pune as well as in rural districts.
• The ten-day event, first popularized by Lokmanya Tilak in 1893 to foster unity and Marathi identity, begins on August 27.