Riddhi Siddhi Mandal, based in JB Nagar, Andheri (E) in its 47 th Ganeshutsav year, is creating awareness on communal harmony and urging people to verify fake news before sharing.

On the background of India’s 75 years of Independence (Amrit Mahotsav), Riddhi Siddhi Mandal is promoting the concept ‘India 2.0’ and the challenges that Indians are facing. They have made an interesting 10-min live script around communal harmony and how fake news on social media are adding fuel to the fire.

This skit starts with a group of friends from different religious background who are celebrating Independence Day and a viral fake news does the round, creating rivalry amongst them. A third person enters and shows how fake news are manufactured and it opens their eyes to reality. They invite the audience to verify fake news and stand by India’s historic cultural principle of ‘Unity in Diversity’. The show concludes with India’s unique achievements globally across various sectors including sports,
space, defence, corporate etc.

Over the past decade, the Mandal has been taking up various social issues including
women empowerment, mental issues of youth, the collapsing city infrastructure,
supporting transgenders etc. Dinesh Chindarkar (one of the organisers) said “Every year we take up a social cause and create awareness. In this landmark year of India’s independence, we wanted people to understand the unique culture of the country and the philosophy of ‘Unity in Diversity’ which India stands for. As a country, we are poised for the next level and have to build tolerance & respect for every religion to drive India to greater heights.” The Mandal’s Ganesh Murti is also made out of environment friendly and natural components.
Kiran Patel (one of the organisers) said “Our Ganesh idol is made out of tissue paper, alum and ghati gum which are environment-friendly and natural. The idol takes a long time to create and is difficult to make in the monsoon climate. But it is time that we all wake up to the reality of conserving our environment. We are also doing the visarjan locally in an artificial pond, so as not to pollute the sea”
The Ganesh idol takes close to 2-months to produce as it needs a lot of time for drying and finishing. Their live show is currently attracting a lot of crowd and is being highly appreciated.