50 women get Paithani saris at Bhaubeej event in Karanji village, with traditional Dandar performance

Fifty women of Karanji village in Gondpipri tehsil were given Paithani saris on Bhaubeej, at an event held during Diwali on the initiative of social worker Pradeep Khobragade. A traditional Dandar performance, regarded as a heritage of rural culture, was also staged on a large scale. The women were seen happy, and the folk art got a stage.

The sari distribution, planned to double the festival's joy and bring smiles to the women's faces, drew wholehearted participation. Bhaubeej is a festival of the love and bond between brothers and sisters, and the women were honoured with a special gift on the occasion. Several women expressed satisfaction.

The Dandar programme added colour to the cultural atmosphere of Karanji. It was organised to keep alive the traditional art, folk culture and folk traditions of rural areas. All the villagers of Karanji swayed to the beat of the Dandar. The artists, in deep voices and traditional costume, presented different art forms and won over those present. The villagers enjoyed the event while savouring Diwali delicacies.

The programme was held so that traditional folk arts that are slowly dying out in villages get a platform, artists are encouraged and the new generation recognises its cultural heritage. The villagers' strong support lifted the organisers' spirits.

Khobragade said the main aim of the initiative was to honour women's power and share the joy of the festival with everyone. He said such events let women be given a small, special gift on a festival, and seeing the joy on their faces brings him contentment. In his view, such cultural programmes are necessary to preserve the traditional folk art and culture of rural areas.

Those present included tehsil Congress president Ashok Rechankar, district Congress vice-president Devendra Batte, Congress city president Raju Jhade, Shiv Sena (UBT) tehsil chief Suraj Madurwar, senior journalist Balu Nimgade, Scheduled Caste department head Sarnath Bakshi and Rajesh Dongre, along with many other local dignitaries and villagers.

Resting on three principles, social responsibility, respect for women and preservation of cultural heritage, the initiative doubled the Diwali joy in Karanji. Khobragade's effort to include others in the festival rather than keeping it to himself remained a talking point in the area.