Hariprasad Chaurasia performs Pranpratishtha at Pune's Rangari Ganpati

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia performed the Pranpratishtha ceremony of the Shreemant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati in Pune on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, bringing one of India's most recognised classical musicians to a ritual central to the state's Ganeshotsav traditions.

Chaurasia, celebrated for his command of the bansuri, has spent decades shaping the reach of Indian classical music. His participation in the ceremony gave the event added devotional and cultural resonance.

The Pranpratishtha is a key rite of Ganesh Chaturthi, involving prayers and traditional observances through which the divine presence of Lord Ganesha is invoked in the idol. The Shreemant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati occupies a distinctive position within Maharashtra's Ganeshotsav heritage.

Across Maharashtra, the festival marking the birth of Lord Ganesha is being observed with morning aartis, cultural performances and processions that escort the deity into homes and pandals. The celebrations draw thousands of devotees to prayers, programmes and events organised by Ganpati mandals each year.

In Mumbai, long the focal point of the ten-day festivities, crowds of devotees gathered at the Lalbaugcha Raja pandal for a glimpse of the idol, chanting 'Ganpati Bappa Morya'.

Chaurasia's honours include the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1984, the Padma Bhushan in 1992 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2000. He has performed extensively around the world and has worked to promote Indian classical music globally.