Senior workers from public Ganesh mandals say the shift has been driven by the city’s rapid expansion, a sharp rise in the number of mandals, growing crowds, changes in procession routes and restrictions on loudspeakers after 10 pm.
The festival, once largely centred on neighbourhood celebrations and elaborate displays in the city’s central peth areas, has gradually evolved as Pune itself has expanded.
Earlier, residents would often visit the displays late into the night, making them an important part of the festival experience. As late-night footfall declined, the attraction of these displays gradually weakened, along with the scale of spending by mandals on them.
At the same time, the immersion procession began drawing increasingly large crowds. As more people started participating in the processions, mandals began directing greater attention and expenditure towards them.
During that period, household and public Ganesh celebrations were closely connected, as local communities came together for neighbourhood-level processions. This gave the celebrations a stronger sense of social bonding, familiarity and discipline.
However, migration into Pune and the expansion of the city have changed that structure. As new residential areas and suburbs developed, the number of public mandals increased, creating a much larger and more dispersed Ganeshotsav network.
The changing procession routes, limited availability of traditional musical troupes and increasing participation have now contributed to the festival’s evolving character, with the grand immersion processions increasingly occupying the centre of Pune’s public Ganeshotsav experience
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