‘Traditions can’t be broken’: Bhagyashree’s Ganesh aarti sparks family feud

Bhagyashree, the actress, has ignited a family feud over the right to perform the traditional aarti at the royal family-owned Ganpati Panchayatan temple in Sangli, Maharashtra. The dispute stems from Bhagyashree’s decision to perform the aarti after a four-year absence from her ancestral home.

Bhagyashree’s parents, Vijaysinhraje Patwardhan and Rani Rajlaxmi, insist that the ritual now belongs to their adopted son, Yuvraj Adityaraje Patwardhan, who is the sole heir to the Sangli throne. They argue that Adityaraje has the exclusive right to perform the aarti in the temple. Bhagyashree, however, contends that family participation is crucial for preserving Sangli’s traditions.

The disagreement escalated when Bhagyashree entered the temple’s sanctum sanctorum to perform the aarti without her father present. According to the family, Bhagyashree allegedly verbally confronted the manager of the temple trust during her visit. Vijaysinhraje accused her of breaking temple rules and forcibly entering the inner sanctum.

Bhagyashree maintains that she has a deep connection to the temple and has performed the aarti since her childhood. She claims that she returned to Sangli to uphold the temple’s traditions and faith in Lord Ganesh, who she believes protects the people of Sangli.