Straight Answers

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Vithalrao Shivarkar</span>, Patron, Pune Ganesh Festival, Janostav, On the highlights of the festival<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">What are the highlights of your festival?</span><br /><br />The Ganesh festival was started by Lokmanya Tilak to help with India''s freedom struggle.This year we plan to bring the same thoughts and sentiments to people in Pune through our Ganesh Festival.We are calling the fest a Janostav - which means a festival for the people and by the people of Pune.<br /><br />Former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Srimant Chattrapati Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur, will be our chief guests. This year being the centenary year of Srimant Shahu Maharaj, we thought it best to invite his heir. The festival will begin on September 2 and end on September 7.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">How is your festival different from the others?</span><br /><br />This festival is for the people and we have lined up a cultural extravaganza including Geet Ramayana by Sridhar Phadke, actor Sachin Pilgaonkar performing songs from his latest album, a performance by Vaishali Samant of the Aika Dajiba fame and a lavani by Chaya and Maya Khutegaonkar. There will also be an evening of bhajans and bhakti geet with singer Charulata Belsare and a special show showcasing Maharashtra''s Lok Nritya.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Where are these performances going to take place?</span><br /><br />This year we are holding the festival at the grounds of the New English School, Tilak road, which incidentally was founded by Lokmanya Tilak. We would like to have had this festival at the Shaniwarwada, but the PMC Ganesh Festival is planning a bigger show and needed that space.We are already thinking of celebrating other festivals like Navaratri and Christmas. Thus we hope to preach brotherhood and the importance of living together as a community.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">What is your budget for the festival?</span><br /><br />We are doing the festival on a budget of Rs 10 lakh, which has been possible thanks to contributions from our volunteers.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Is there any kind of political rivalry between the three festivals?</span><br /><br />One can''t think of having any kind of rivalry when you entertaining people during a festival. We are doing the festival to give Pune more variety and a different cultural feel.<br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">This is the second year you''ll are doing the festival, what has been achieved so far?</span><br /><br />More people are aware of our existence and our popularity among the masses has increases.<br /><br /></div> </div>