After 10 days of joyous celebrations, Pune is bidding an emotional farewell to Lord Ganpati on Tuesday as the immersion processions begin. The five revered "Manache Ganpati" mandals, led by Shri Kasba Ganpati, have started their processions in the heart of the city.
Over 7,000 police personnel are on duty, along with CCTV surveillance, and 17 major roads have been closed for the event. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has set up designated ghats for the immersion. The first and second Manache Ganpati—Shri Kasba Ganpati and Tambdi Jogeshwari—have already begun their processions, with the others to follow.
Even, the third revered Ganesha has also started its journey towards ghats.
The five Manache Ganpati in order of immersion are Shri Kasba Ganpati, Tambdi Jogeshwari, Guruji Talim, Tulshibaug, and Kesari Wada. As per tradition, the immersion starts with Shri Kasba Ganpati, followed by the others.
This year, the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati will join the procession at 4pm, aiming to conclude on time. Last year, Dagdusheth's immersion was completed by 8:50pm.
In 2022, Kesari Wada's idol was immersed at Panchaleshwar Ghat by 6:58pm, concluding the process for the five Manache Ganpati. Guruji Talim's immersion was completed at 5:40pm, and Tulshibaug at 6:32pm. Tambdi Jogeshwari finished its immersion at 5:10pm, while Shri Kasba Ganpati completed its rituals by 4:45pm.
Will it finish earlier this year?
The duration of the Ganesh Visarjan procession is a significant issue in Pune. Despite the police's assurances of completing the immersion procession earlier last year, it took 30 hours and 25 minutes, making it the second-longest in the last seven years. In 2022, the procession lasted the longest, at 31 hours. Thus this year, it will be closely watched whether the procession sets a new record for duration, either surpassing last year's time or significantly shortening it.
The immersion of the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati idol in 2023 concluded in record time at 8:50 pm, 14 hours and 30 minutes ahead of the 2022 timing. The duration of Ganpati Visarjan processions in Pune has varied over the years. In 2016, the procession lasted 28 hours and 30 minutes, reducing slightly to 28 hours and 5 minutes in 2017. By 2018, the time had shortened further to 27 hours and 15 minutes, and in 2019, it dropped significantly to 24 hours. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no processions were held in 2020 and 2021. However, in 2022, the Visarjan duration reached a peak of 31 hours, and in 2023, it lasted for 30 hours and 25 minutes.
