Hospitalized Patients To Get Darshan Of Dagdusheth Ganpati Through Augmented Reality

Patients suffering from various diseases and undergoing treatment in hospital beds pray to the Lord for their speedy recovery. Ganeshotsav is also the time when these patients wish to bow down to Ganaraya. However, they cannot go anywhere from the hospital bed due to their illness.

Therefore, the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati decided to offer darshan to them in the hospital, in the ward where they are and staying on the bed. Due to this, the patients feel like they are actually at the Utsavmandap, and bowing before the idol of Ganaraya.

Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Public Ganpati Trust, Suvarnayug Tarun Mandal, is implementing this unique activity during the 130th year of Ganeshotsav. Augmented and virtual reality startup – Digital Art VRE has collaborated on this initiative. The initiative started with showing this darshan to the patients in the ICU of Sassoon Hospital. The patients of Sassoon Hospital shed tears of joy while seeing Bappa through this medium.

Treasurer of the trust, Mahesh Suryavanshi, said this is an attempt to climb the next step towards the great temple of human service through this initiative. The trust intends to reach out to approximately 500 patients across 15 hospitals in Pune city. Special permissions have been obtained from the concerned authorities and doctors, who have allowed the trust to offer this experience during these 10 days of the festival. Due to this, the patients will receive energy and satisfaction. The trust is trying to reach them with this visionary offering of Bappa. Removing the fear and depression caused by Covid will help increase the patients’ morale.

Prabhakar Dingorkar, an 87-year-old patient from Panvel who is undergoing treatment at Sassoon Hospital, said, “Patients like us always have anxiety and negativity about tomorrow. However, Ganaraya appeared today. When I had the darshan of the Lord and got to see the aarti, the decorations, that energy came unknowingly, which would help me get well soon, and go home soon.” He further expressed that the trust should implement new experiments for patients.

Ajay Parge, Founder and Director of Digital Art VRE, said, “Ganapati Bappa will be in the metaverse and, depending on their health condition, some patients will be able to perform aarti standing in front of Bappa through a virtual medium. These patients will also stand next to other devotees and watch chanting and abhishekam. So they will get the experience of seeing the decorations made for Bappa and will be able to see the actual darshan.”

Mohit Soni, the CEO of Media and Entertainment Skills Council, said, “We are delighted to be associated with this noble initiative of Digital Art VRE. We will encourage such innovations at the national and international levels.”