Pune IT Professional Turns Ganeshotsav Installation Into Road-Safety Appeal After Losing Mother In Traffic

Pune: What began as one of the most painful experiences of his life has now become a public message on road safety for Pune resident and IT professional Ravi Chauhan. After his mother died while her ambulance was caught in traffic on New Year’s Day, Chauhan has used his annual Ganeshotsav installation to highlight the city’s road conditions, traffic congestion and the need for motorists to give way to emergency vehicles.

A personal tragedy behind the installation

Chauhan said his mother, who had suffered a heart attack, was being taken to a hospital when the ambulance got stuck near Shiv Chhatrapati Chowk in Punawale. Despite the ambulance siren and repeated attempts to seek space from other vehicles, the traffic did not move.

“The hospital was only a few minutes away, but those few minutes became the longest distance I have ever experienced. Standing there helpless made me think about how many families face similar situations,” he said.

He said the experience became the starting point for this year’s theme. “I cannot change what happened to my mother, but I hope this message makes even one person give way to an ambulance or think differently about road safety,” he said.

Ganpati witnesses Pune’s road chaos

The installation, created at Chauhan’s home in Hinjawadi, presents a detailed miniature version of a congested city. It features vehicles, pothole-ridden roads, construction workers, trucks carrying loads covered with blue tarpaulin, autos and an ambulance caught amid the chaos.

“The idea started with a simple question: ‘What if Bappa himself visited our city?’ I imagined Him seeing potholes, unfinished roads, traffic jams and civic indiscipline,” Chauhan said.

The installation shows Ganpati calling a meeting with his team of Mushaks after witnessing the situation. “Instead of waiting for someone else to act, Bappa decides to take the first step. The Mushaks then get to work — managing traffic, repairing potholes, clearing the road and helping a person who has fallen,” he said.

‘Everyone has a role to play’

According to Chauhan, the installation is not only a message to the administration but also to citizens. “The administration should build roads on time and with quality, contractors should ensure safety, and citizens should avoid wrong-side driving, follow lane discipline and immediately give way to ambulances,” he said.

He said the different elements have been deliberately included to represent everyday civic problems. “Potholes represent neglected infrastructure, traffic jams represent everyday struggles, and the ambulance symbolises how every second matters,” Chauhan said.

He added that the Mushaks represent collective responsibility, while the meeting with Ganpati represents leadership. “When nobody takes responsibility, someone has to take the first step,” he said.

From decoration to a civic message

Chauhan, who has been passionate about art since childhood, said he wanted to move away from a conventional decorative theme this year. The installation took nearly two-and-a-half months to plan, design and assemble, with elements created through 3D printing and hand-painted miniatures.

“This time, instead of creating something decorative, I wanted to create something meaningful. That’s how ‘Vighnaharta’ was born,” Chauhan said.

The installation will remain open to the public until September 25. Chauhan said he hopes the message extends beyond Ganeshotsav. “Bappa has taken the first step. Now it’s our turn to become Vighnahartas,” he said.