Pune's Five Manache Ganapatis Lead Visarjan Procession on Anant Chaturdashi

Pune's five most revered Ganesh idols, the Manache Ganapatis, set out on their immersion procession from Mandai on Friday, as the ten-day Ganeshotsav drew to a close on Anant Chaturdashi.

The visarjan procession is among Pune's most enduring traditions, and the Manache Ganapati idols occupy a central place in it. Crowds of devotees and visitors lined the route to watch the idols being carried towards their immersion.

One devotee described the city's celebrations as distinctive, saying people travel to Pune from across the country because the festival feels genuine and brings communities together. The devotee added that the mood was bittersweet, with participants bidding farewell to Lord Ganesha with a sense of joy even as they felt emotional.

Immersion processions were held across Maharashtra on the concluding day of the festival. Besides Pune, Mumbai and other parts of the state saw large gatherings, with idols taken through the streets to the accompaniment of drums, devotional chants and traditional observances.

Ganesh Chaturthi begins with the installation of Lord Ganesha's idols, followed by days of prayer and festive gatherings. The celebrations end with Ganesh Visarjan, when devotees bid farewell to the deity and immerse the idols in water. On the final day, large numbers of people gather at immersion points across Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra to offer prayers and watch the rituals.