A Thai devotee's love for Lord Ganesha just earned Maharashtra a global moment. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday, 27 September 2026 took to X to share that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, during the latest edition of his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat, honoured Thai Ganesh devotee Panthoun Thirakhanon — and in doing so, placed Maharashtra's sacred Ashtavinayak pilgrimage circuit in front of a national and international audience.

CM Fadnavis noted that PM Modi praised Thirakhanon for making the Ashtavinayak Yatra 'extremely popular' among citizens of Thailand as well as foreign pilgrims. The Prime Minister expressed joy at the growing devotion to Lord Ganesha beyond India's borders and the spread of Maharashtra's rich spiritual heritage abroad.

Eight temples, one circuit — and now a global audience

The Ashtavinayak — literally 'eight Ganeshas' — is a circuit of eight ancient temples spread across Maharashtra's Pune, Raigad, and Ahmednagar districts. Each shrine is believed to be a swayambhu (self-manifested) form of Ganesha, drawing millions of pilgrims annually. For a Thai devotee to carry that tradition to Southeast Asia — and for the Prime Minister to spotlight it on a programme heard by crores — marks a notable crossing of devotion and diplomacy.

Panthoun Thirakhanon's efforts, as described by PM Modi, appear to have created a tangible pilgrimage pipeline: Thai nationals and overseas devotees increasingly making the journey to Maharashtra's Ganesha shrines. Thailand already venerates Ganesha deeply — the deity, known there as Phra Phikanet, is worshipped for success and removal of obstacles — making the cultural bridge between the two traditions an organic, if underreported, story.

Mann Ki Baat as a soft-power amplifier

Launched in 2014, Mann Ki Baat has consistently served as PM Modi's platform to surface grassroots stories — ordinary citizens, unsung innovators, quiet cultural custodians — and hand them national visibility. Elevating a foreign devotee who is actively promoting an Indian pilgrimage fits squarely within that template, and within India's broader effort to project spiritual heritage as soft power.

For Maharashtra, the moment is a tourism and cultural dividend. The Ashtavinayak circuit already attracts significant domestic footfall; international attention, amplified by the Prime Minister's microphone, could deepen that inbound pilgrimage economy further.

CM Fadnavis's decision to amplify the moment on X — tagging #Maharashtra, #MannKiBaat, and #AshtavinayakYatra — signals the state government's intent to ride the visibility wave. When the world's most-listened-to radio host calls your pilgrim trails irresistible, you make sure everyone in Maharashtra hears it twice.