The Pune Police have issued detailed guidelines for this year's Ganpati Visarjan (Saturday, September 6). They plan to commence the immersion procession two hours earlier than in previous years. They have also issued guidelines for dhol-tasha troupes and music systems, which accompany the mandals during the procession.
Guidelines for Manache Ganpatis
As per the guidelines issued by the Pune Police Commissioner’s Office, the immersion procession of the first Manacha Ganpati – Kasba Ganpati – will begin from the Tilak Putla in Mandai at 9:30 am. It will reach Belbaug Chowk at 10:15 am, and from there join the main procession route proceeding via Laxmi Road.
The second Manacha Ganpati – Tambdi Jogeshwari Ganpati – will join the main procession behind the Kasba Ganpati from Belbaug Chowk, and from there proceed via Laxmi Road at 10:30 am.
The third Manacha Ganpati – Guruji Talim Ganpati – will halt at Belbaug Chowk for 10 minutes of gulal and a 15-minute aarti. After this, it will join the main procession at 11 am.
The fourth and fifth Manache Ganpatis – Tulshibaug Ganpati and Kesariwada Ganpati – along with all Manache Ganpatis will proceed via Laxmi Road from Belbaug Chowk by 12 noon.
Traditionally, the processions begin between 11 and 11:30 am.
Guidelines for other Ganpati mandals
The Mahanagar Palika Ganpati and Twashta Kasar Mandal will take the sixth and seventh positions from Belbaug Chowk at 1 pm.
Later, the mandals coming from City Post to Laxmi Road and Datta Mandir to Shivaji Road will proceed via Belbaug Chowk by 3:45 pm.
The Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganesh Mandal will reach Belbaug Chowk at 4 pm and proceed on the main procession route.
After 5:30 pm, Jilbya Maruti Mandal, Hutatma Babu Genu Mandal, Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Mandal, and Akhil Mandai Mandal will join the main procession. All of these will proceed from Belbaug Chowk until 7 pm.
These new guidelines have been issued as the immersion procession in Pune is known to stretch well into the next morning, creating challenges of crowd management and putting enormous strain on the police.
‘Maintain discipline and follow the immersion schedule’
Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, in a release, said the guidelines were drafted after all Ganesh mandals agreed to them. “We request Ganesh mandals to maintain discipline and follow the immersion schedule. The early start will help complete the procession in time and reduce pressure on traffic and security arrangements,” he said.
Each dhol-tasha troupe to have only 60 members
The police have said that no distance will be kept between the processions of any two mandals. Besides, no mandal will be allowed to break the pre-decided sequence.
The police added that each mandal can include a maximum of two dhol-tasha troupes in their procession, with each troupe only allowed to have 60 members.
Moreover, the police further said that each Ganesh mandal will be allowed to have only either a dhol-tasha troupe or a sound system, not both.
8,000 police personnel to be deployed
The Pune Police have made elaborate arrangements for deployment. As per the release, 8,000 personnel and officers will be deployed. The Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad, Quick Response Teams, additional police personnel from the State Reserve Police Force, and Home Guard personnel will be part of the deployment. Drones and CCTV cameras will closely monitor the procession.
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