Although Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak started public celebration of Ganeshotsav to unite people and inculcate feeling of oneness. in Pune in the year 1893, the tradition of public celebration of Ganesh festival in Ner is as old as 1,059 years. The first public celebration in Ner started in the year 963 AD at Ganapati Math in Ner. People from far off villages visit Ner to pay obeisance to Lord Ganesh at the Ganapati Math Sansthan.

For last four generations, the Paluskar family is preparing idol for the Ganapati Math. This year, Pradip Paluskar has prepared a very beautiful idol of the Lord. People flock for darshan of Lord Ganesh’s idol.

It is believed that the Lord Ganesh at the Ganapati Math Sansthan fulfills wishes of the devotees and therefore devotees throng this place in large numbers and also make offerings after their wishes are fulfilled.

For the last two years the public celebrations were not allowed due to the Novel Coronavirus pandemic but this year devotees are visiting the temple in large numbers after the Government has lifted all the restrictions on the celebrations. “As this is the oldest Ganesh festival in Vidarbha, devotees have been coming here for many generations. The responsibility of their stay, meals etc is with the Sansthan,” said President Rajendra Chirde.

Despite the Government giving ‘C’ category status to the Sansthan, the funds given under such a category have yet not been received by the Sansthan. Chirde said that the Sansthan has 3,000 sq ft of land and with the help of MLA and Minister Sanjay Rathod, funds have been approved for construction of ‘Bhakta Nivas,’ but due to some technical difficulties the funds have not been yet to be received.