Pune police gear up for Visarjan day, plan to start immersion procession two hours in advance

Idol immersion on Anant Chaturdashi, the final day of Ganesh festival begins with the poojas being performed in the Manache Ganpati mandals, the five Ganesh mandals which traditionally lead the immersion processions in Pune. Following the pooja at the pandal of Shree Kasba Ganpati Mandal – the first among the five Manache Ganpati – the processions normally formally begin between 11 to 11.30 am, when the Kasba Ganpati mandal reaches the Tilak Statue at Mandai. This year the police have planned that the procession will formally begin at 9.15 am, two hours in advance. Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar highlighted that the peaceful and safe conduct of the procession remains the highest priority for the city police.

Coordinating with mandals 

Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said on Wednesday that decisions have been taken with consensus of all the manache Ganesh mandal and other prominent mandals who are part of the main procession of Pune city. “These decisions have been formally documented as the outcome of these meetings. Along with manache Ganesh mandal and other prominent mandals, we held meetings with mandals who take out processions via the arterial Laxmi Road, Tilak Road, Kumthekar road and Kelkar Road. This year, we are planning to begin the procession two hours in advance with Kasba Ganpati to be brought to Tilak Statue at 9.15 am. All the five Manache mandals will proceed ahead of Belbaug Chowk — a key point on the procession route — around 12 pm. Then they will come to Laxmi Road.”

Planning for five Manache Ganpati

The first among Manache Ganpati, Kasba Ganpati Mandal’s procession, will commence from the Tilak Putla in Mandai at 9.30 am. It will reach Belbaug Chowk at 1015 am and from there, join the main procession route proceeding via Laxmi Road. The second of Manache Ganpati, Tambdi Jogeshwari Ganpati, will join the main procession behind the first Manache Ganpati from Belbaug Chowk, and from there proceed via Laxmi Road at 10.30 am.

The third of Manache Ganpati, Guruji Talim Ganpati, will stop at Belbaug Chowk for 10 minutes of gulal and a 15-minute aarti as per its tradition, after which it will join the main procession festivities, proceeding via Laxmi Road from Belbaug Chowk at 11 am.

The fourth and fifth of Manache Ganpati, Tulshibaug Ganpati and Kesariwada Ganpati, along with all Manache Ganpatis, will proceed via Laxmi Road from Belbaug Chowk by 12.00 pm.

After the five Manache Ganpati, the Mahanagar Palika Ganpati and Tveshtha Kasar Mandal will proceed in the sixth and seventh position from Benbaug Chowk at 1 pm. After that the mandals coming from City Post to Laxmi Road and Datta Mandir to Shivaji Road, will proceed via Belbaug Chowk by 3.45 pm. The prominent Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganesh Mandal will come to Belbaug Chowk at 4 pm and proceed for the main procession route. Post 5.30 pm, Jilbya Maruti Mandal, Hutatma Babu Genu Mandal, Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Mandal and Akhil Mandai Mandal will join the main procession and all four of them will proceed ahead of Belbaug Chowk till 7 pm. The mandals coming from City Post to Laxmi Road and Datta Mandir to Shivaji Road will only be allowed to join the main procession on Laxmi Road via Belbaug Chowk.

General directives

Police have said that no distance will be kept between the procession of two mandals to ensure quicker movement. No mandal will be allowed to break the predecided sequence. Every mandal can include maximum two dhol tasha troupes in their procession with each only allowed to have 60 members including dhol tasha players and supporting team. After the procession concludes at Alka Talkies Chowk, no troupe will be allowed to move back on the procession route with their instruments.

When the processions of Manache Ganpati move from Tilak Statue to Belbaug chowk, the Dhol Tasha troupes will not perform. They will only join the procession at Benbaug Chowk and will be allowed to play their instruments after that.

Each Ganesh mandal will be allowed to only have either Dhol Tasha troupe or sound system, not both. No mandal will allow dhola tasha troupes to play in stationary move, they will have to keep moving. No mandals on the Tilak Road, Kumthekar Road, Kelkar Road will commence their procession before 10.30 am.