Pune 15 August 2025: Pune’s Ganesh immersion procession is set for a shake-up this year as sixty Ganesh mandals have declared they will start their Anant Chaturdashi procession at 7 am from Belbagh Chowk on Lakshmi Road, independent of the traditional order led by the city’s honoured Ganesh idols.
The decision was announced at a joint press conference by representatives including Suresh Jain of Rameshwar Chowk Tarun Mandal, Adesh Parwe of Juna Jaicha Public Ganeshotsav Mandal, Bhausaheb Karpe of Sahakar Tarun Mitra Mandal, Ganesh Bhokre of Mutheshwar Mitra Mandal, and others.
They said years of frustration over long waits during immersion day, mainly due to certain prominent mandals occupying Lakshmi Road for extended periods, had forced them to act.
“Every year, smaller mandals are made to wait for hours while a few honoured Ganpatis take their time. They can keep their traditions, but we will carry out our immersion in our own way,” said Bhokre. Sanjay More added that rules seem to apply only to some, while others go unchecked, and called for a clear, strict rulebook from the police and civic authorities.
The groups said an early start would ease traffic congestion, reduce pressure on police and municipal staff, and ensure the procession ends on time. They have planned to submit a memorandum to the police commissioner and have urged the government to resolve the dispute to avoid disorder and protect Pune’s image.
They made it clear, however, that their decision to start early will not be changed under any circumstances.
