Pune’s Ganesh Immersion Procession Concludes After 33 Hours
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 7th September 2025: The world-famous Pune Ganeshotsav immersion procession concluded on Sunday evening after continuing for more than 33 hours. The grand procession, which began at 9:30 am on Saturday with the aarti performed by Deputy Chief Minister and Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar, finally ended at around 7 pm on Sunday.
This year’s highlight was that the five prestigious (Manache) Ganesh mandals completed their immersion 11 hours ahead of the time allotted by the administration. Traditionally, the immersion of these mandals takes more than 15 hours, causing delays for the rest of the city’s procession. However, despite their early completion, the overall city procession stretched longer than usual, lasting over 33 hours.
There are more than 3,900 public Ganesh mandals in Pune. The famed Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Mandal, which usually begins its immersion at midnight, joined the procession at 4 pm this year and completed its immersion in just five hours, setting an example. But the subsequent mandals moved at a slower pace, leading to the prolonged duration of the overall procession.
Over the years, the immersion procession has seen varying timelines:
2016: 28 hours 30 minutes
2017: 28 hours 05 minutes
2018: 27 hours 15 minutes
2019: 24 hours
2020 & 2021: No procession due to Covid-19 pandemic
2022: 31 hours
2023: 28 hours 40 minutes
2024: 30 hours
2025: Over 33 hours
Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said the festival was conducted peacefully with extensive security arrangements. “Our priority was safety and ensuring every mandal got its time in the procession. The festival was celebrated in a very enthusiastic atmosphere with proper coordination between Ganesh mandals and the administration. The opening of metro stations at Kasba Peth, Mahatma Phule Mandai, and Swargate also led to a surge in visitors,” he said.
Responding to complaints about some dhol-tasha team members harassing devotees and journalists during the procession, Kumar clarified, “It would be unfair to blame the entire team for one person’s misbehavior. We have received complaints, and appropriate legal action will be taken against those responsible.”
Despite the extended timeline, this year’s Pune Ganesh immersion procession remained a vibrant and peaceful spectacle, drawing lakhs of devotees and showcasing the city’s cultural fervor.
