Pune: During the public Ganesh immersion procession in Pune, a tense situation erupted at Alka Chowk when a group of mandal members refused to move forward and insisted on playing loud DJ music, causing significant delays.
The incident occurred when a mandal coming from Kumthekar Road abruptly halted at the designated route and began playing music at high volumes, leading to a bottleneck for the processions behind them.
Despite repeated instructions from the police to continue moving, the mandal members refused to comply, causing a complete halt in the procession and a temporary traffic standstill.
After multiple warnings, the police had no choice but to intervene, resulting in a brief clash as officers moved to disperse the crowd. The incident created a moment of tension, but senior police officials quickly arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control. With their intervention, the procession resumed smoothly as the mandal was encouraged to move forward.
The public Ganesh immersion processions in Pune continued with high energy on their second day. After the immersion of the "Manache Ganpati" (the five most revered Ganpati idols) on the first day, the famous Shrimant Dagdusheth Ganpati’s immersion took place at 9 PM last evening.
The processions extended late into the night, with several mandals joining in, accompanied by traditional instruments and celebrations. However, the mandals using DJ music rejoined the procession early this morning, continuing their participation in the grand celebration.
According to the Pune Police, the Ganesh immersion processions are expected to continue for a few more hours. After last night’s incident, strict security measures have been put in place, and additional police forces have been deployed along the procession routes to ensure smooth traffic and public order. The procession, which has now been ongoing for 25 hours, is expected to conclude by evening today.
