On her part, Bhagyashree told reporters that family participation was important to preserving Sangli’s traditions. (Express Photo/AI Enhanced)Actor Bhagyashree has found herself at the centre of a dispute over the right to perform the traditional aarti at the royal family-owned Ganpati Panchayatan temple in Maharashtra’s Sangli.Bhagyashree’s parents have objected to her performing the aarti at the temple, maintaining that the ritual is now the responsibility of their adopted son, Yuvraj Adityaraje Patwardhan.“Adityaraje is the sole heir to the Sangli throne. As my sole heir, he has the right to perform the aarti in the temple,” her father and the head of the former royal family of Sangli, Vijaysinhraje Patwardhan, told reporters in Sangli Monday.On her part, Bhagyashree told reporters that family participation was important to preserving Sangli’s traditions.A ‘forced’ entryThe dispute came to the fore after Bhagyashree returned to Sangli after four years and performed the aarti. Her father was reportedly not in town at the time.According to the family, when Bhagyashree entered the temple’s sanctum sanctorum, she allegedly had a verbal altercation with the manager of the temple trust.Also Read | Why a Pune family of lawyers spends months turning paper into Ganesh idolsVijaysinhraje accused Bhagyashree of breaking temple rules and forcibly entering the temple’s inner sanctum.Story continues below this ad“I don’t know why my daughter performed the aarti in my absence. The honour of performing the aarti belongs to my wife and me. Traditions cannot be broken in this way. People will not tolerate this. Adityaraje is my legal heir and he should be recognised as my heir,” Vijaysinhraje said.“We have been celebrating Ganeshotsav at the temple for the last 58 years without fail. We had appointed a manager who was following all the age-old tradition.”Bhagyashree and her husband, Himalaya Dassani, had managed affairs related to the Sangli estate between 2013 and 2016. Vijaysinhraje later revoked Dassani’s authority following disputes concerning financial and land transactions.“Several illegal transactions have taken place… Even the Lord Ganesh has been cheated. We ignored it and kept quiet. We never went to the media,” Bhagyashree’s mother Rani Rajlaxmi told BBC News (Marathi).Story continues below this adShe further claimed that the family chose not to publicly respond to allegations about Vijaysinhraje’s health and his ability to manage the temple trust. “It was claimed that my husband is not well, not able to look after the temple trust and was resigning…We could have also countered this, but we didn’t want to wash our dirty linen in public.”‘Protector of Sangli’Bhagyashree said she grew up performing the ritual at the temple and has felt a deep bond with it since childhood.“I have come after many years, but I haven’t forgotten Lord Ganesh. May the respect of the Shri Ganesh Temple stay with all of you. Lord Ganesha lives in our hearts; he is the protector of the people of Sangli, and I have full faith that Bappa will take care of us,” she told Marathi news channel ABP Majha Monday.The Patwardhans adopted Adityaraje in 2024. He is the son of Jaideep Abhyankar, who manages the trust overseeing the temple.Story continues below this adAlso Read | Salman Khan was only family at Bhagyashree’s wedding: ‘My parents refused to come, I kept waiting’Vijaysinhraje has claimed that the decision to adopt him followed alleged remarks by Bhagyashree concerning her parents’ deaths and succession to the family estate. Following the adoption, the 16-year-old was named Yuvraj Adityaraje Patwardhan and declared the family’s official heir, according to Vijaysinhraje.Bhagyashree, who was born into the royal family of Sangli, entered the film industry in the late 1980s despite her family’s objections. Her debut, Maine Pyar Kiya, opposite Salman Khan, made her a prominent name in Hindi cinema.She subsequently married Dassani and stepped away from films for a period. Her parents had reportedly opposed the marriage, and she left home to marry Dassani. Her parents were not present at the wedding.Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis. Professional Legacy Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities. Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Shifts & Alliances "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala. "BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls. "Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections. "NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections. 2. Civic & Administrative Accountability "PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions. "93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads. 3. Social & Labor Issues "As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra. "Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... 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