Bal Gangadhar Tilak: The Pioneer of Lord Ganesha Festival | PWOnlyIAS 2023

Context:

• This article is based on an Editorial “How Bal Gangadhar Tilak made the worship of Lord Ganesha Grand Community Festival?” which was published in Indian Express.
• The ten-day Lord Ganesha festival began on September 19, is celebrated across India and especially in the western regions of the country, with mass participation, a transformation credited to Bal Gangadhar’s efforts, now symbolizing India’s unity and devotion.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856-1920): A Great Nationalist and Patriot

• Referrals: Bal Gangadhar Tilak referred to as ‘Lokmanya’, or the Leader of the People.
• Famous Personality: A Marathi journalist, teacher, and political and social activist.
  • Prior to the emergence of Mahatma Gandhi, he was the tallest mass leader in India’s anti-colonial movement.
• Prominent Leader of the Indian Independence Movement: Bal Gangadhar Tilak played a significant role in the Indian independence movement against British colonial rule.
• Aim & Declaration: Man with a more radical aim: Swaraj or self-rule and his famous declaration (in Marathi) was “Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it.”
  • He was a prominent leader in the Indian freedom struggle who ardently advocated for “Swaraj” or self-rule for India.
• Magic of Attraction: A fiery and fearless person, and used a direct language that attracted a large audience.
• Promotion of Indian Culture and Heritage: Tilak was not only a political leader but also a staunch advocate for the preservation and promotion of Indian culture and heritage.
• Criticism: Tilak has been criticized for giving the freedom struggle a communal shade and for his conservative stand on women’s emancipation and caste reforms.

Also Read: Home Rule Movement (1915-1916)

Bal Gangadhar Tilak and His Path to Indian Nationalism

• Mobilization: To mobilize the people against British rule, he invoked pride in Indian heroes.
• Political Campaigns: He relied on political campaigns that were infused with Hindu imagery and symbolism.
• Use of Writings: In 1881, Tilak, along with G G Agarkar, founded the newspapers ‘Kesari’ and ‘Mahratta’ and used them to spread nationalist resistance against British rule.
• Ganpati Festival: In 1893, he started the new tradition of worshiping Lord Ganesha or Ganpati as a community festival where patriotic songs would be sung and nationalist ideas would be propagated.
  • The Lord Ganesha festival that we witness every year on Ganesh Chaturthi is perhaps grander than Tilak himself had ever imagined.
  • Prior to 1893, the Ganesh festival used to be a one-day affair, largely observed in private, primarily by Brahmins and upper castes.
  • However, Through his writings, fiery speeches, and organizational intellect, he encouraged and advocated bringing the Ganesh festival into the public sphere.
  • During the festival deeds of self-denial and valor were put forth for chasing before the young by fiery speakers and priests.
• Shivaji Festival: In 1896, Bal Gangadhar Tilak started it to further the cause of nationalist resistance with an aim to inspire nationalist ideas among young Maharashtrians.
• Boycott: In 1896, Bal Gangadhar Tilak organized a campaign in Maharashtra to boycott foreign cloth to protest the imposition of an excise duty on cotton.

Also Read: Popular Movements/Events In India

Conclusion:

The Lord Ganesha festival has also undergone major shifts over the years. It has now become a space where political parties are ever active and commerce thrives. But at its heart, it is still a product of Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s vision of a grand public celebration, marked by mass participation.