A New Example of Social Responsibility by Rejecting Harmful Traditions
The annual festival of Shri Mahalaxmi samaj temple was celebrated this year with great devotion and enthusiasm. Located under the Hindalga Gram Panchayat limits in Belgaum taluka, the temple festival once again stood out for promoting social values while preserving religious traditions.
This year marked the 33rd anniversary of the temple’s annual celebration. Religious rituals and prayers began early in the morning, including the traditional Shri Satyanarayan Puja. The temple was beautifully decorated with flowers and illuminated with attractive lighting arrangements. The idol of Goddess Mahalaxmi was adorned with elegant ornaments and floral decorations.
A grand palanquin procession accompanied by traditional musical instruments was taken out through the village in the morning. Devotees and villagers welcomed the procession enthusiastically at various locations. After the procession returned to the temple premises, a special “Oti Bharane” ceremony for married women was conducted, followed by a collective Aarti in the presence of the temple committee members, dignitaries, and villagers.
One of the key highlights of the festival is the temple committee’s continued stand against harmful and outdated customs. Practices such as animal sacrifice and accepting ceremonial gifts have been completely avoided since the establishment of the temple. The celebrations are conducted in a purely social and family-oriented manner.
During the festival, non-vegetarian food is strictly prohibited, and sweet meals are served to everyone. Thousands of devotees participated in the Mahaprasad organized on the occasion. In addition, an organization named ‘SBG’ conducted a free health check-up camp for villagers as part of the social service activities during the festival.
Datta kanurkar said, “In many villages, fairs and temple festivals are celebrated differently, and some places still follow traditions like animal sacrifice or accepting gifts. However, at Shri Mahalaxmi Samaj Temple in Laxmi Nagar, all such practices have been rejected since its establishment. Along with religious celebrations, we also organize social welfare activities. This is a pure social and family festival, and other villages should take inspiration from this model.”
The attractive decoration of Goddess Mahalaxmi for the festival was done by Laxmi Kanurkar and her team. Several dignitaries and villagers including Krishna Badiwale, Prajakt Kekare, Suresh Patil, Rajan Takalkar, Shivaji Badiwale, Shankar Garde, Dinkar Gawas, Kishor Urankar, Shrikant Lokare, and Sachchidanand Chikorde, along with members of the women’s committee and local residents, were present in large numbers for the celebration.
