The magazine by, of and for Pathare Prabhus

Back in 1983 when Girgaum unlike its gentrified present was bustling with chawls and quaint bazaars the Pathare Prabhu families many of whom lived in the neighbourhood since eons came together in a unique show of strength Thousands of women decked in traditional jewellery and draped in the Maharashtrian nineyard saree took to the streets to flaunt the best their community had to offerDr Anita RaneKothare head of department of Ancient Indian History Culture and Archaeology at St Xavierrsquos College then in her teens remembers joining this procession ldquoIt was called the Shobha Yatrardquo she says when we meet her at the collegersquos campus The idea for the yatra she says was born in an editorial meeting of the monthly community magazine Prabhu Prabhat Kothare who went on to join the same editorial board a few years later says the magazine became the voice of the Pathare Prabhus among the earliest inhabitants of the city Last Sunday the editorial team released a special edition to mark 100 years of Prabhu Prabhat Kothare who has brought along a bunch of magazines to show us says that while Prabhu Prabhat has evolved in the last centurymdashfrom a slim digestsize black and white publication to a standard magazine with glossy colourful coversmdashat its core it still remains true to its first edition disseminating news about the community to its peopleDr Anita RaneKothare has been on the editorial team of Prabhu Prabhat since 1990 PicSameer MarkandePrabhu Prabhatrsquos history is closely linked with that of a monthly newsletter called Prabhu Masik launched in 1906 It was widely circulated in the early 1900s and noted painter Mahadev Vishwanath Dhurandhar was said to have contributed his drawings to the publication ldquoBut by the mid 1920s it seemed to be losing readers Thatrsquos when a bunch of young men came together to start Prabhu Prabhatrdquo says Kothare Also Read This Mumbaikar pens a memoir about serving his country on a limb and a prayerThe magazine was launched on Gudi Padwa on March 18 1923 Its founding editor was Ramrao Ganpatrao Vijaykar and the coeditors were Sakharam Vitthal Rao and Khanderao Sadashiv Trilokekar ldquoApart from publishing a timely uptodate census they also carried births deaths marriages which included the intercaste ones as well and achievements including those in the fields of educationrdquo Meritorious students who topped at the University level would also grace the front page Kothare is one among them Kothare who has been on the editorial team since 1990 was mentored by noted writerpolitician Pramod Navalkar who edited the publication till his death in 2007 and Dr Sunil Arvind Rane ldquoWhen someone from the community passed on Pramod Navalkarji would write some of the most beautiful obits that celebrated the life and times of the person These obits almost 50 of them were later published as a separate bookrdquo she remembersWhen Navalkar died Kothare says Dr Rane came out with a special edition dedicated to its foremost editor who began his career as a journalist and went on to serve as a legislator for nearly 30 years ldquoRaj Thackeray who had paid tribute to Navalkar by sketching his cartoon also gave us permission to carry it in our publicationrdquo she says Juggling teaching at St Xavierrsquos and editing the magazine was hardly a challenge she says ldquoIrsquod visit the office which is on Dr Dadabhai Naoroji Road twice or thrice a week in the evenings and wrap up any writing or editing workrdquo Today the editorial team comprises 17 people all scattered across the city especially in the suburbsThe publication she feels gave her and others a solid grounding which helped many in their respective careers Several social and arts groups like Mahila Samaj Social Samaj Houshi Kala and charities and relief groups worked in tandem with the publication