By: Deeplata Garde
Ganeshotsav found its public soul in Pune. When Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak turned a household ritual into a citywide celebration in 1893, he gave the festival a purpose beyond devotion, uniting people during India's freedom struggle. More than a century later, five mandals still carry that legacy forward as Pune's Manache Ganpati, literally “the honoured five.” Their seniority isn't measured in idol size or decoration budget, but in tradition, history and the singular honour of leading the immersion procession each year.
