Covid19 pandemic puts a break on the auspicious Khandenavami puja this year at Kelkar museum
It is for the first time in the history of Raja Dinkar Kelkar museum that the auspicious Khandenavami puja (Shastra puja) held on the ninth day on Sharadiya Navratri) every year shall not happen this year due to Covid19 pandemic.
Renuka Suryavanshi
Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum is located on Bajirao road and is a rare museum of artefacts collected by Dinkar Kelkar when he actually began collecting rare items from the year 1920. Every year at Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum prayers are offered to a Dhaal, which is considered to be sacred. This Dhaal has been used by many warriors before they marched for any battlefield. This is made of bronze and it has been used mainly during Khandenavami puja.
Pune Pulse spoke to Sudhanva Ranade to know about the situation of the museum and how the rare occasion would be missed this year.
Sudhanva Ranade, director, Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum told Pune Pulse that this is for the first time that such a rare occasion will go without any festivity. Covid19 pandemic has brought a halt to all public places. This has been the worst year ever, museums across the country are closed and are in dire need of funds to survive. For the past eight months we have been struggling to maintain these rare artefacts.
Since 17th March, 2020, the Museum is struggling hard for its very survival and of the employees working for it.
Most of the Museums are looking up to both the State and Union Governments to announce a special package and the Corporate Sector to extend funding under CSR initiatives.
The probability of reopening Museums seems to be a distant dream unless transportation reaches to normal, which only brings tourists to Pune city, who are the real visitors to Museums not the Punekars in true sense.
The reopening of schools and colleges is also one of the important factors.
It would be a wonderful opportunity for Punekars to support all the Museums by physically visiting them, which may help them in rebuilding their lost revenues to some extent, Sudhanva Ranade further added.
