Story perspectives

Pune Ganesh immersion ends safely after 33-hour, 27-minute run

By Drooid · Sep 27, 2026, 4:11 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Police Report Immersion

Police commissioner Amitesh Kumar reported the main Ganesh immersion procession lasted 33 hours 27 minutes and ended without major incident.
Police deployed 650 mandals on key routes and imposed a 48-hour heavy-vehicle ban on Sep 25-26.
About six lakh commuters rode Pune Metro on Friday, increasing crowd pressure on the central immersion routes.
Citizens expressed satisfaction with police arrangements and said the festival passed without a major untoward incident.

Summary

Residents Extend Immersion

Many Pune residents treat Ganesh immersion as mandatory, staying on streets until after 1 am.
In Nagpur, thousands danced through monsoon rain, chanting “Ganpati Bappa Morya” as idols were immersed.
Resident Shailaja Dighe said immersion now occurs in a bucket, with clay later reused in gardens.
A combined procession united the 107-year-old Dakshinamurti Swayamsevak Ganeshotsav Mandal with three other historic mandals.

History

Historical Context

After the 1820 Haridwar stampede that killed about 430 people, the British Company built new ghats and widened roads; the 1986 Kumbh crush claimed roughly 50 lives and led to deployment of 10,000 police. Those precedents guide Maharashtra Police commissioner Amitesh Kumar, who imposed a 48-hour vehicle ban and coordinated 650 mandals for Pune’s Ganesh immersion, directing six lakh Metro riders.

1 of 3

Police Report Immersion

Police commissioner Amitesh Kumar reported the main Ganesh immersion procession lasted 33 hours 27 minutes and ended without major incident.
Police deployed 650 mandals on key routes and imposed a 48-hour heavy-vehicle ban on Sep 25-26.
About six lakh commuters rode Pune Metro on Friday, increasing crowd pressure on the central immersion routes.
Citizens expressed satisfaction with police arrangements and said the festival passed without a major untoward incident.

1 / 3