Devotees in Pune open hearts, homes to welcome Ganpati Bappa

Ganesh festival began with fervour and gaiety with people welcoming their beloved Bappa with enthusiasm. While residents installed the idols of elephant god at homes, mandals of five Manache Ganpati carried out grand procession of the deity through Kumthekar road, Bajirao road and Laxmi road drawing in a huge crowd.

Citizens dressed in traditional clothes brought Bappa home in the morning and installed the idols amid hymns and prayers. Most streets in Pune were dotted with lines of Ganesh idols in creative makhars (decorative material). Housing societies too installed Bappa with much fanfare.

Sun City housing society on Sinhgad road is celebrating the festival for more than 12 years with residents organising programmes for children, women and senior citizens.

The procession of Kasba Ganpati, the first Manache Ganpati, started in traditional silver palkhi at 9.30 am from Kunte chowk. The mandal enters its 127th year of formation. Along with two traditional dhol-tasha pathak (troupe), two bands and one Sanai Chowghada performance, the procession reached at Mandal at 11.30 am. The Ganpati pooja was carried out by Sri M, founder of Satsang Foundation. The mandal has made ‘Gajmahal’ decoration at their pandal this year.

It was followed by other Manache Ganpati Mandals namely Tambdi Jogeshwari, Guruji Talim Mandal, Tulsibaug Ganpati Mandal and Kesari Wada Ganpati Mandal from different city routes on Kumthekar road and Laxmi road. Residents gathered in large numbers to see the processions.

Other prominent Ganpati Mandals such as Dagdusheth Ganpati Mandal’s procession started from the main temple at 8.30 am. First the aarti was done in the temple, then the Ganpati idol was kept on the ‘Sheshatmak Rath’ decorated with flowers before the procession proceeded towards the Ganeshotsav Pandal near Datta Mandir on Shivaji Road.

In the starting of the procession, there was Sanai and Chowghada playing of Gaikwad and Dewalankar Brothers. It was followed by three prominent bands in Pune – Prabhat Band, Darbar Band and Mayur Band. And finally the performance of Gandhaksha Dhol Tasha Pathak.

Another attraction in these processions was Hutatma Babugenu Ganpati Mandal’s ‘Mayur Rath’ which was decorated with flowers. And there was ‘Dhwaj Pathak’ of women in which hundreds of women were holding Dhwaj (flags) in hand, dancing on the beats of dhol-tasha.

Finally, at 1.30 pm, all the five Manache Ganpati Mandals and other prominent Ganpati mandals in the city completed their processions and installed the deity at their respective pandals.

PMC makes necessary preparations

Pune Municipal Corporation has made preparations for Ganesh festival in the city, including Tuesday’s immersion.

Artificial tanks have been set at various locations, including 18 ghats in Mula and Mutha rivers, for immersion.

Regional ward offices have set up artificial tanks in their respective areas with staff deployed for assistance.

“PMC has installed CCTV cameras at immersion ghats and main procession areas.” said Sanjay More, PMC public relations officer

All departments, including garden, electrical, road, solid waste management, fire brigade, road department have made necessary arrangements for the festival.

Mayor Mukta Tilak and municipal commissioner Saurabh Rao reviewed the preparedness for the festival and immersion arrangements.

Fire brigade department has appealed to residents to avoid rivers and canals for immersion and has placed lifeguards at ghats round the clock.

130 lifeguards have been deployed at various water bodies.

Solid waste management department has prepared plan to lift garbage from city areas at regular intervals, besides road cleaning after processions are over, said Dnyaneshwar Molak, head of the solid waste management department, PMC.

PMC has set up telephone numbers 020-25501269, 25506800, 25506801 one can call in case of an emergency during the festival.