Pune Ganeshotsav 2026: 40-Foot Hanuman Towers Over Tulshibaug’s Girikandhar Ganpati Pandal
Reported by Radhika Sharma and Rishi Sahu
Tulshibaug, 18th September 2026: In the heart of Tulshibaug, the Shri Gajanan Mitra Trust has turned its Ganpati pandal into a double darshan this year, Lord Ganesha framed by an expansive Hanuman-themed installation called “Girikandhar”. Organisers say the concept, inspired in part by the newly released film Hanuman Ansh, has struck a chord, with crowds swelling through the day and turning the narrow lanes around the pandal into a near-constant flow of devotees.
Mangesh Kamble, Vice President of Shree Ganjanan Mitra Mandal, explains that the idea was to bring together two powerful shrines in one visual narrative. “We actually got inspired by the movie that’s just released, ‘Hanuman Ansh’, and our President thought that this would make a great theme, to combine the shrines of Lord Hanuman and Lord Ganesh,” he says. The result is a pandal that feels less like a temporary decoration and more like a mythological set, with Ramayana motifs running through the space and idols of Rama, Sita and Laxman displayed inside the shrine.
The centrepiece is a pair of Hanuman statues. Outside, amidst the Tulshibaug bustle, stands a towering 40-foot Hanuman that dominates the skyline of the lane. Inside, the focus shifts to a more meditative energy: an 11-foot, floating, dhyanstha Hanuman crafted using modern engineering and lighting, designed to give devotees the sense of encountering the deity mid-tapas. Kamble notes that work on the theme began five to six months ago, with around 100 artisans involved in sculpting, structural work, and finishing to pull off the scale and detail.
On the ground, the response has been intense. Shubham Morya, a volunteer at the mandal, describes afternoons as already packed, with the rush only escalating after sunset. “It’s so crowded in the afternoon itself, this rush is consistent no matter the time. It just gets further chaotic during the night, so much so that there’s no space to stand,” he says. Local reels and posts by Punekar News and other Pune creators have amplified the buzz, showing sweeping shots of the 40-foot Hanuman against the Tulshibaug skyline and close-ups of the floating dhyanstha form inside, often tagged as one of the standout Ganpati dekhave of 2026.
For regulars who associate Tulshibaug with its historic 13-foot Ganpati idol and old-market charm, Girikandhar adds a new layer to the area’s Ganeshotsav identity. This year, the mandal has also tied its festive energy to social responsibility, using part of the budget that would have gone into a traditional dhol pathak to fund school fees for six students, a move highlighted in local Marathi coverage. The combination of a cinematic Hanuman theme, heavy footfall, and a quiet social message makes the Shri Gajanan Mitra Trust’s pandal one of those stops that fits neatly into both a devotional route and a Pune Ganpati pandal-hopping itinerary.
