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Pune’s Dagdusheth Ganpati temple honoured for highest annual visitors

Every year, the renowned Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple sees nearly 2 crore visitors during the 10-day Ganeshotsav.

2 min readPuneDec 4, 2025 04:09 PM IST

For the first time, the festival will be celebrated at the newly inaugurated Shrimant Dagdusheth Ganpati Devalaya in Phuket, facing the calm blue waters of Rawai Beach.

Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple in Pune (Representational Image/Dagdusheth Ganpati Temple)

Written by Ananya Shetty

The Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple in Pune recently received two recognitions for recording the highest annual footfall among Ganesh temples worldwide this year.

“The temple receives 35,000 to 40,000 visitors daily, 50,000-60,000 weekly, and sees a peak of 2 lakh devotees on Ganesh Chaturthi,” temple treasurer Mahesh Suryawanshi said. “Around 2 crore people visit during the 10 days of Ganeshotsav, including nearly 700 foreign nationals annually. Devotion and the temple’s social work draw this footfall,” he added.

The temple received the certificates from the Winners Book of World Records, an organisation that certifies exceptional talent, mainly from India, and the Universe Book of World Records on November 29.

The temple, Suryawanshi said, was associated with Lokmanya Tilak’s first public Ganeshotsav in 1893. Despite traffic congestion and limited parking in the area, devotees continue to visit in large numbers, he added.

According to Suryawanshi, the temple’s facilities, VIP/tatkal entry priced at ₹100, CCTV surveillance, scanners, 24×7 monitoring, baggage counters and footwear stands make movement smoother for visitors. Online options such as Tatkal booking, virtual darshan, digital coconut offerings and name-recitation services during poojas have also increased accessibility, he added.

Two PROs assist foreign tourists. “This represents the hospitality of the country, not just the temple,” Suryawanshi added, noting that the premises operate on efficient use of limited space.

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Temple services include 12 free ambulances, food for 32,000 patients at Sassoon Hospital, an NICU, 90 per cent subsidised medical procedures, hearing aids, cataract surgeries, five maternity wards, visitor restrooms and kitchens.

The trust is working on a 25-year plan with the police and civic bodies to address traffic, sanitation and road management issues. Gold and silver donations are used to craft accessories for the idol, and all rituals and welfare activities are broadcast publicly for transparency, Suryawanshi added.

Ananya Shetty is an intern with The Indian Express.

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