About Us
Our story, our founders, and the people carrying it forward
Our Story
Sarkar Ganesh Utsav Official began in 2006, when two school friends, Tapan Omprakash Rajput and Nimesh Madhukar Patil, decided to bring a Ganesh Utsav celebration to Parle Point's Black Building in Surat — a site many in the neighbourhood considered inauspicious at the time. What started as a small gathering among friends grew, year after year, into a celebration that brought the whole community together.
In 2010, after the original building was sold, the celebration moved to its present home at Bhagwati Ashish, City Light, where Bappa has been welcomed every year since. The mandal paused its public celebrations for one year in 2020 in line with COVID-19 restrictions, resuming the very next year with the same devotion as before.
In 2025, the mandal organised what it considers its largest Ganesh Aagman procession yet — a moment that reflected two decades of community trust and dedication built one Utsav at a time.
Our Founders
Tapan Omprakash Rajput
Founder
Co-founded Sarkar Ganesh Utsav Official in 2006 alongside Nimesh Madhukar Patil and a group of friends, growing it into a landmark Ganesh Utsav celebration in Surat.
Nimesh Madhukar Patil
Founder
Co-founded Sarkar Ganesh Utsav Official in 2006, dedicated to community devotion, seva, and organizing the mandal's annual festivities.
Carrying It Forward
Two decades on, the founders' vision is carried forward by the next generation of the Rajput family, alongside a close circle of friends and volunteers who have served the mandal for years.
Kushal Rajput
Vardaan Charitable Trust
Oversees the complete operations and administration of Vardaan Charitable Trust, ensuring every social initiative is run with transparency and dedication.
Jay Rajput
Festival Planning & Execution
Leads the planning, execution, and financial coordination of the pandal, themes, decorations, and overall festival arrangements.
Rishikesh Rajput
Ganesh Aagman Procession
Manages the complete planning of the Ganesh Aagman procession — route, logistics, and coordination from the idol workshop to the final installation.
Beyond the Utsav
Since 2006, the mandal has supported the education of underprivileged children — including full-time support for children without parental care. In 2024, this work was formalised as the registered Vardaan Charitable Trust, which by 2025 was supporting 25 children directly, with plans to welcome 10 more, and a long-term goal of reaching many more in the years ahead.
Visit Vardaan Charitable Trust →How We're Funded
The Utsav is entirely funded by the mandal's core members — around 50 families who have shared the cost of the celebration since it began. We don't collect public donations or place donation boxes at the pandal; for us, this Utsav is our own offering to Bappa and to the community, not a fundraiser.