Ganesh Ustav- A Cultural intervention

While many of us study OD in the context of an organisation, there are many social events that help us learn how principles of OD are used to build communities.

One such popular form, that we all know is the 10-day long Ganesh Utsav. It is a festival that was revived in 1893 by Lokmanya Tilak. It started as a national festival to bring unity among the people and continues to bind communities together. Tilak started this festival to foster oneness among Indians, which was essential to create resistance against British colonial rule.

A cultural intervention that continues to bring people together even after 130 years, has surpassed the test of sustainability. Neighbours who don't visit each other for the entire year, gather to celebrate Ganesh Utsav. Such is the power of this initiative/festival.

When organisations face challenging times or wish to build communities for a cause, they too can take initiatives to bring the organisation together.

These initiatives may be non-religious, but they are equally powerful in creating a movement that can be trajectory-shifting...