St. Anne Church, Thottam, Karnataka Demonstrates Interfaith Bonding at Ganeshotsav

Malpe, Udupi, Karnataka, August 30, 2025 — In a powerful display of communal harmony, members of St. Anne Church, Thottam, joined the Sarvajanika Ganeshotsav celebrations at Thottam on Wednesday. Their participation came under the banner of Samanvaya Sarva Dharma Samithi, the parish’s Inter-Religious Dialogue Commission.

The delegation was led by Parish Priest Fr. Denis D’Sa, together with Samithi President Ramesh Thingalaya, who extended warm festive greetings to the Public Ganesh Utsav Committee.

Addressing the gathering, Fr. Denis D’Sa highlighted Thottam’s longstanding spirit of unity. “Thottam has always been a place of interfaith harmony. Our participation in each other’s festivals proves that harmony here is lived through actions, not just words,” he said. He also recalled the mutual cooperation between the Church and the Ganesh Utsav Committee during major community occasions, including the parish feast and the harvest festival.

The event saw the presence of several parish representatives, including Vice President Leslie Aroza, Secretary Blecilla Crasta, Sisters from St. Ann’s Convent, Inter-Religious Dialogue Commission convener Agnel Fernandes, and committee member Onil D’Souza. Leaders of the Public Ganesh Utsav Committee were also in attendance, among them President Prashanth K. Salian, Working President Yatiraj Salian, General Secretary Yogish Kumar, Treasurer Ramesh Thottam, along with other committee members.

The participation of the parish community in the Ganeshotsav celebrations served as a reminder of Thottam’s enduring tradition of mutual respect, cooperation, and shared festivities. By embracing one another’s cultural and religious events, the people of Thottam continue to set an example of how interfaith harmony can be lived meaningfully in everyday life.

By Fr. Denis D’Sa

Parish Priest & Director,

Social Communications Commission,

Udupi Diocese

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