Alhad Joshi

In the town of Erandol in Jalgaon, a Muslim family has been nurturing a unique tradition for the past 37 years. Every year, a Ganesha idol is installed with all religious rituals at the home of Dr. K. A. Bohri.

Despite being a busy doctor, he has maintained this tradition without interruption, balancing his faith and profession. While the city is filled with festive cheer during Ganeshotsav, the installation of 'Bappa' at the Bohri household sends a profound message of religious harmony to society.

Dr. K. A. Bohri and his wife, Dr. N. K. Bohri, have dedicated themselves to serving patients for 50 years.

Their son, Dr. Farhaz Bohri, is a cardiologist, and his wife, Dr. Ambrin Bohri, is a gynecologist. The tradition began when three-year-old Farhaz was in kindergarten. He used to visit his friends' homes during Ganeshotsav and developed a heartfelt desire to get ‘Bappa” to his home.

He asked his father to bring the Ganesha idol home. Dr. Bohri fulfilled his son's wish and installed an idol.

The tradition has continued uninterruptedly for 37 years.

Even after Dr. Farhaz left town for higher education after the 10th grade, his father, Dr. Bohri, did not let the tradition break. Throughout his school, college, and medical education, Dr. Farhaz participated in and celebrated Ganeshotsav wherever he was.

As always, the Bohri family installed a Ganesha idol with beautiful decorations at their clinic on Mhaswad Road. All members of the Bohri family regularly participate in the morning and evening aarti (a ritual of worship with lamps) and all other religious ceremonies.

The idol is immersed after five days.

This year, the installation ceremony was attended by Ahirrao, Hemant Kulkarni, Advocate Mohan Shukla, N. D. Kalkar, former deputy mayor Shakuntala Ahirrao, Nanda Shukla, Meena Pawar, Samadhan Badgujar, Gopal Patil, along with the clinic staff and friends.

The Bohri family tradition of welcoming Ganesha, a deity who removes obstacles from the lives of humans, to their home each year is a message of social harmony.

The family has walked the talk of Ganeshotsav being a festival of joy, unity, and brotherhood.

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The Bohri family shared that they find immense joy through the mental peace derived from worshipping 'Bappa' and the coming together of friends and family.