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Temple replicas, Ganga aarti mark Pune’s grand Navratri
The Lakshmi Mata temple at Shivdarshan near Swargate welcomes devotees with a magnificent replica of Madurai’s famed Meenakshi temple. The highlight is a towering, 70 feet gopuram with intricate designs that has become the major draw for devotees seeking darshan.
PUNE: This year, Navratri celebrations in the city have taken a turn for the grandiose with pandals recreating the look and feel of iconic temples across India.
The Lakshmi Mata temple at Shivdarshan near Swargate welcomes devotees with a magnificent replica of Madurai’s famed Meenakshi temple. The highlight is a towering, 70 feet gopuram with intricate designs that has become the major draw for devotees seeking darshan. Elsewhere, Ayodhya’s newly built Ram Mandir has been replicated to the tee, offering devotees a glimpse of the temple’s grandeur within the comfort of their own city. A third pandal has reproduced Kolhapur’s revered Mahalakshmi temple whereas the Deccan mandal has duplicated Varanasi’s legendary Ganga aarti much to the delight of devotees.
Pranay Sonawane, president, Akhil Deccan Gymkhana Mandal, said, “Our mandal is celebrating its 44th year this time. Every year, we try to bring something unique for people visiting our pandal. Our themes usually revolve around mahals. This year, along with the Mayur Mahal, we have also reproduced the Ganga aarti ritual.”
Sonawane shared that they drew inspiration from the recently concluded Ganesh festival wherein a pandal had staged the Ganga aarti. “We really liked the concept, so we reached out to the same group. Due to their unavailability, they connected us with their colleagues who are now performing the Ganga aarti at our pandal every evening at 7 pm. The response from the people has been overwhelming,” he said.
With these striking replicas alongside traditional rituals, this year’s Navratri celebrations have taken on a richer, more colourful hue, drawing huge crowds and infusing the city with a sense of awe and devotion.
The Bengali community in Pune, too, is gearing up for the year’s most awaited event – Durga Puja. Preparations are in full swing as the Bangiya Sanskriti Samsad (BSS) readies to host the 86th Greater Pune Sarbojanin Durgotsav at Congress Bhavan, Shivajinagar, from September 27 to October 2, 2025. The theme this year is devotion, culture and sustainability with highlights including a pandal inspired by the intricate Dhokra art of West Bengal’s Purulia district and a fully biodegradable idol of Goddess Durga. The festivities begin on September 27 with ‘Inquizition 2025’, a quiz featuring preliminaries and finals; followed by the ever-popular Anandmela, a festival that brings together authentic Bengali flavours.
About the preparations, Anupam Kashyapi, chairperson of the BSS, said, “Dhokra art is a traditional craft of Purulia, and artisans have been working here for over a month to bring this concept to life. The entire community is filled with excitement as we look forward to another memorable Durga Puja.”
