MPPSC 2023 Prelims Paper-I · Question 66 of 100

Correct — D, Bal Gangadhar Tilak. In 1893, Tilak transformed the private, household worship of Ganesha into a large public festival (Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav) in Poona (Pune). His goal was political: colonial law restricted large political gatherings, but a religious festival was untouchable, so Tilak used it to legally assemble and unite people across caste lines and build nationalist sentiment.

• (a)Bipin Chandra Pal — A leading Extremist of the 'Lal-Bal-Pal' trio and a powerful orator on Swadeshi, but he did not found Ganeshotsav — that was Tilak's initiative in Maharashtra.
• (b)Govind Ranade — Mahadev Govind Ranade was a Moderate social reformer linked to the Prarthana Samaj and the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, not the founder of the public Ganeshotsav.
• (c)Lala Lajpat Rai — The 'Punjab Kesari' and the third member of the Lal-Bal-Pal trio, active mainly in Punjab — he had no role in starting the Maharashtra Ganeshotsav.

Tilak used religious festivals as vehicles for mass political mobilisation. Public Ganeshotsav (1893) turned a household puja into a community event with processions, speeches and cultural programmes, giving Tilak a legal, recurring platform to reach ordinary people at a time when overt political assembly was restricted.

The trap is defaulting to any well-known 'Lal-Bal-Pal' name (Pal or Lajpat Rai) since all three are Extremist-era leaders students recall together. The festival, however, is specifically a Maharashtra/Tilak initiative — pin it to Tilak, not the trio generically.

• Tilak started the public Ganeshotsav in 1893 in Poona (Pune)
• Purpose: build cross-caste unity and nationalist sentiment via a religious platform outside colonial restrictions on political gatherings
• Tilak also started public Shivaji Jayanti celebrations in 1895, on the same mass-mobilisation logic
• Both festivals used popular Hindu religious/cultural symbols to reach beyond the English-educated elite

• Confusing the three Lal-Bal-Pal leaders and assigning Ganeshotsav to Pal or Lajpat Rai instead of Tilak
• Mixing up Ganeshotsav (1893) with Shivaji Jayanti (1895) — both Tilak's, but different years and different figures

MPPSC/UPSC frequently ask 'who started X festival/movement' among Extremist leaders — anchor Tilak to both 1893 Ganeshotsav and 1895 Shivaji Jayanti.

No directly related past PYQ was found.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  In which year did Bal Gangadhar Tilak start the public Ganeshotsav festival in Poona?

  • (a)1885
  • (b)1893
  • (c)1905
  • (d)1920

  Answer(b) 1893.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Besides Ganeshotsav, which other public festival did Tilak popularise to build nationalist sentiment?

  • (a)Durga Puja
  • (b)Shivaji Jayanti
  • (c)Ram Navami
  • (d)Onam

  Answer(b) Shivaji Jayanti, started by Tilak in 1895.