The 243rd 'Rathotsav' of Shri Ganesha of Tasgaon in Sangli district of Maharashtra is being celebrated with great enthusiasm. The Chariot festival of  Siddhivinayak and the 96 feet high Gopur of the temple are the special features of this place. Hundreds of devotees from various States have come to Tasgaon to witness the 'Rathotsav'. <br />''<br />''AIR Correspondent reports that this is the 243rd year of the Chariot Festival of Lord Ganesha of Tasgaon. Before Lokmanya Tilak started the public Ganeshotsva, the festival and Rathotsava are celebrated in Tasgaon. Parashuram Pathvardhan, a general of the Maratha Empire, ennobled Siddhivinayak of the right trunk in Tasgaon in 1700 AD.<br />''<br />''Rathotsava ceremony is celebrated since then. The temple of Sidhivinayak is of southern style. The gopur of the temple is seven storied and has a height of 96 feet. A 121 kg panchadhatu idol of lord Ganesha is kept in a wooden carved ratha on a three-story iron body and is pulled by hundreds of devotees with the help of a rope attached to the ratha. <br />''<br />''<span style="color: #222222;">The procession is taken through the main streets of the city. Devotees from many states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra and Gujarat visit this place in large numbers on this Rath Festival.</span><br />