16 September,2026 05:57 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Bhagyashree. Pic via Instagram
Actor Bhagyashree has found herself embroiled in a family dispute over performing the traditional Ganpati aarti at the royal family-owned Ganpati Panchayatan temple in Sangli, Maharashtra. The disagreement centres on who has the right to carry out the ritual following the adoption of Yuvraj Adityaraje Patwardhan by Bhagyashree's parents.
Bhagyashree, who was born into the former royal family of Sangli, returned to the city after four years and performed the aarti at the temple. Her father, Vijaysinhraje Patwardhan, was reportedly not present at the time. The incident has since brought the long-standing family differences into the spotlight.
Vijaysinhraje, head of the former royal family, has objected to his daughter performing the ritual, maintaining that Adityaraje, whom the family adopted in 2024, is now the sole heir to the Sangli throne.
"Adityaraje is the sole heir to the Sangli throne. As my sole heir, he has the right to perform the aarti in the temple," he told reporters in Sangli Monday.
According to the family, Bhagyashree's entry into the temple's sanctum sanctorum also led to a verbal altercation with the temple trust's manager. Vijaysinhraje accused his daughter of breaking the temple's rules and entering the inner sanctum forcibly.
"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," he said. Bhagyashree, however, has maintained that family participation is important to preserving Sangli's traditions. Speaking to ABP Majha, she said she had grown up performing the ritual and continued to share a deep bond with the temple.
"I have come after many years, but I haven't forgotten Lord Ganesh," she said, adding that she has faith that Lord Ganesha will protect the people of Sangli.
The Patwardhan family adopted 16-year-old Adityaraje in 2024. He is the son of Jaideep Abhyankar, who manages the trust overseeing the temple. Following the adoption, Vijaysinhraje declared him the family's official heir.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of earlier disagreements between Bhagyashree and her parents. Bhagyashree and her husband, Himalaya Dassani, had managed affairs related to the Sangli estate between 2013 and 2016, before Vijaysinhraje revoked Dassani's authority following disputes over financial and land transactions. Bhagyashree's mother, Rani Rajlaxmi, has also told BBC News (Marathi) that irregular transactions took place, claims the family says it had previously chosen not to make public.
Bhagyashree entered the film industry despite her family's objections. Her 1989 debut, Maine Pyar Kiya, opposite Salman Khan, made her a household name before she married Dassani and stepped away from films for a period.
