Punekars Welcome Ganpati Bappa With Devotion Despite Heavy Rains (VIDEOS & PHOTOS)

Despite heavy rains, chants of "Ganpati Bappa Morya, Mangalmurti Morya" echoed across Pune as the citizens welcomed their beloved Ganpati Bappa on Wednesday (Ganesh Chaturthi).

The city’s five revered manache mandals - Kasba Ganpati, Tambdi Jogeshwari Ganpati, Guruji Talim Ganpati, Tulshibaug Ganpati, and Kesariwada Ganpati - along with other iconic mandals such as Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati and Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati, took out traditional processions accompanied by the beats of dhols and tashas.

Devotees were also seen bringing idols home, as the festival is celebrated with equal devotion in households across the city.

The atmosphere across the city is vibrant, and in the coming days, devotees from all over the world are expected to throng various mandals to seek darshan.

Security measures:

Meanwhile, with 3,959 public Ganesh mandals and around 7.45 lakh private mandals, Pune Police is fully activated to ensure that the festival is celebrated peacefully and safely.

The celebration will be under multiple safety measures, including surveillance cameras with AI-powered video analytics, IP-based public address systems, mobile surveillance vehicles, drone-based aerial monitoring, GPS trackers, and alert systems. Moreover, noise level monitoring with 150 calibrated meters, anti-drone guns, wireless communication systems (100 WT-100 & WT-400 sets), 50 Door Frame Metal Detectors (DFMDs), and 150 Hand-Held Metal Detectors (HHMDs) for anti-sabotage checks.

Additionally, to curb crime, special squads have been deployed, including the anti-chain snatching team, mobile theft prevention team, vehicle theft prevention team, and women and child safety (anti-harassment) team. These squads will work under the Crime Branch with dedicated officers and manpower.

Loudspeaker usage & liquor ban:

Loudspeaker permissions have been granted only from August 30 to September 4 and on September 6, between 6 pm and 12 midnight, as per the state’s noise pollution rules. On other days, the use of loudspeakers remains prohibited under the Maharashtra Police Act. Moreover, to maintain law and order, the sale of liquor will remain banned across Pune district on August 27 and September 6.