History of the Ganesh Festival in Pune
How a festival celebrated at home became the great public festival of Pune, and the part played by Lokmanya Tilak.
Read more about History of the Ganesh Festival in PuneGanesh Festival
Manache Ganpati, famous mandals, visarjan and the history of the festival in Pune.
For ten days every year, usually in August or September, Pune belongs to Ganpati Bappa. Thousands of mandals set up pandals, the old city fills with lights and decorations, and the sound of dhol and tasha rings through the peths. The festival ends on Anant Chaturdashi with a visarjan procession that goes on through the night and into the next day.
The public Ganesh festival grew in Pune in the 1890s, when Lokmanya Tilak and others turned a family festival into a celebration of the whole community. Here is the story of the festival, the five Manache Ganpati and the best-known mandals of the city.
The dates change every year with the Hindu calendar. Check the dates for the current year before you plan a visit.
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Manache Ganpati
Area Old city peths
The five Ganpatis of honour that lead the visarjan procession of Pune every year: Kasba, Tambdi Jogeshwari, Guruji Talim, Tulshibaug and Kesari Wada.
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Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati
Budhwar Peth, near Shaniwar Wada
The most famous Ganpati of Pune, in Budhwar Peth. Open all year, with special decorations and lakhs of visitors during the festival.
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Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati
Budhwar Peth, old city
One of the oldest public Ganesh mandals of Pune, known for its unique idol of Ganesh fighting a demon.
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Ganesh Visarjan Procession
The great procession on Anant Chaturdashi, led by the Manache Ganpati along Laxmi Road. Often more than twenty-four hours long.
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