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Pune’s Manache Ganpati mandals set to welcome Bappa
Preparations are in full swing for the 10-day Ganesh festival in Pune, with five Manache Ganpati mandals performing Pratishthapana puja on Tuesday.
The 10-day Ganesh festival will begin on Tuesday, September 19 and Punekars are all set to welcome Ganpati Bappa with a Pratishthapana puja across households and Ganesh mandals. At Pune’s five Manache Ganpati mandals including Kasba Ganpati mandal, Sri Tambadi Jogeshwari Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav mandal, Guruji Talim mandal, Tulshibaug Ganpati mandal, and Kesariwada Ganeshotsav mandal, preparations are in full swing. The fifth Manache Ganpati mandal or Kesariwada Ganeshotsav mandal has already performed the Pratishthapana puja on August 19 as per the Tilak Panchang whereas the Pratishthapana pujas of the remaining four Manache Ganpati mandals will be performed on Tuesday.
While the first Manache Ganpati - Kasba Ganpati mandal – will perform the Pratishthapana puja at 11.37 am on Tuesday.
This is the 131st year of this mandal for which the Morgaon Ganpati dekhava has been readied at the pandal. The idol of Ganpati will be seated in a silver palanquin; the idol has been sculpted by Abhijit Dhondephale. For the last 80 years, the first day procession takes place to the beat of the Prabhat Brass Band and the tradition will continue this year as well. “At 11.37 am, the Pranpratishtha puja will be performed by the Pratishthapana puja Anna Maharaj, Mathadhish of Athargi Math,” said Srikant Shete, president of the mandal.
While it is also the 131st year of the second Manache Ganpati – Sri Tambadi Jogeshwari Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav mandal. The procession will begin at Narayan Peth at 9.30 am and reach Utsav mandap via Kunte Chowk, Nagarkar Talim and Appa Balwant Chowk; musical accompaniment will be in the form of nagara vadan by Adhav Brothers, the New Gandharva Brass Band, Shivamudra Dhol-Taasha Pathak, Tal Pathak and Vishnunad Pathak. At 11.50 am, the Ganpati idol will arrive at the pandal and the Pratishthapana puja will be performed by Bhushan Maharudra Swami Maharaj of Sajjangadh Satara.
The third Manache Ganpati - Guruji Talim mandal – is in its 137th year, and the mandal has created a replica of the Balaji temple. The Ganpati procession will proceed to Utsav mandap . Pune-based industrialist couple Punit Balan and Janvi Punit Balan will perform the puja at 1.45 pm.
The fourth Manache Ganpati - Tulshibaug Ganpati mandal – will leave from Ram Mandir inside the Tulshibaug market in a palanquin at 10 am. The procession will pass through Babu Genu Chowk, Jilbya Maruti Chowk, Shanipar Chowk and Ganpati Chowk to Utsav mandap. Pune Merchants’ Association president Rajendra Bhatia and businessman Rajesh Shah will perform the Pratishthapana puja at 11.30 am. This year, the mandal has created a dekhava of the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain.
Whereas the fifth Manache Ganpati - Kesariwada Ganeshotsav mandal - celebrates the festival according to the Tilak Panchang. Accordingly, the mandal has already performed the Pratishthapana puja on August 19
