Pune, the pioneer city of public Ganeshotsav, is bidding farewell to the beloved deity today as the 10-day festival comes to an end. Over time, the celebration has grown into a grand event. As videos of today's festivities surface online, old pictures of Ganesh Visarjan on Laxmi Road also began circulating.
Before 1893, Ganeshotsav was a one-day private celebration. However, that year marked a significant change. Lokmanya Tilak launched the public celebration of Ganeshotsav to unite people. In his newspaper Kesari, Tilak emphasised the importance of public festivities, turning the traditional domestic event into a large, organized public celebration.
The Visarjan procession of the famous mandals in the city is taken out on Laxmi Road and nearby roads. These roads are closed to vehicular traffic on the day and reopened in a phased manner as the procession moves ahead.
Currently, the entire road is filled with devotees, vehicles of the mandals, and dhol and tasha pathaks. However, the old photo shows the road occupied with fewer people.
Check the old photos here:
Tilak introduced the concept of installing large Ganesha idols in public spaces and is credited with starting the practice of immersing the idols on the 10th day, making Ganeshotsav the massive public event we know today. His goal was to use the festival to bring people together and promote unity.
