Bengaluru: Basavanagudi residents protest over loss of playground to prolonged ganesha festival event

In Bengaluru's Basavanagudi, local residents and sports enthusiasts have launched a protest to save the APS College Ground, a vital community space that has been leased out for nearly a month for Ganesha festival celebrations. The APS College Trust has reportedly rented the playground to the festival organizers for 23 days, triggering widespread concern over the loss of public access to the field.

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The community argues that while they are not against celebrating religious festivals, handing over a major sports ground for more than three weeks is unjustifiable. Locals are demanding that the festival be limited to 3-5 days, allowing space for both cultural festivities and regular physical activities. The prolonged occupation of the ground has sparked questions around priorities , especially at a time when lifestyle diseases are rising and children need outdoor spaces to stay active and healthy.

Many parents expressed frustration, saying that playgrounds are essential for their children to stay away from screens and engage in physical play.

Adding to the discontent, the Bengaluru Ganesh Utsav team has reportedly rented two major playgrounds, the National College Ground for the main celebrations and the APS College Ground for Ganesha idol installation. Residents are now preparing to submit a formal complaint to the Police Commissioner, requesting that permissions for prolonged use of the APS Ground be revoked.