Procession to sart in presence of Bapat, Jagtap

PUNE: An elaborate farewell awaits Lord Ganapati on Thursday as citizens get ready to bid adieu to the deity after ten days of festivities.
Processions and many song and dance routines on high-octane beats of dhol tashas would accompany decorated chariots of the idol as devotees proceed from pandals to designated immersion points.
With the five 'manache' Ganapati mandals leading the way, many other groups would also be using water tanks for an eco-friendly immersion this year.
The action is expected to begin early morning with artists drawing big, colourful rangolis along the entire route.
Mayor Prashant Jagtap and district guardian minister Girish Bapat will kick-start the procession at 10.30am from the Lokmanya Tilak statue in Mahatma Phule Mandai.
Laxmi Road, Tilak Road, Kelkar Road and Kumthekar Road are the major routes for immersion processions which are expected to be used by hundreds of mandals over the next day and a half. During this time, some main roads in central parts of the city will remain closed.
The procession would be led by the five 'manache' Ganapatis - Kasba Ganapati mandal, Tambadi Jogeshwari mandal, Guruji Talim mandal, Tulshibaug mandal and Kesriwada Trust mandal.
They would be followed by other important mandals like Shrimant Bhau Rangari mandal, Akhil Mandai Ganapati mandal, Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati mandal, Jeelbya Maruti mandal and Hutatma Babugenu mandal.
Dhol pathaks of Ramanbaug school, Prabhat band, ShivVardhan and Kalavant will lead the procession of Kasba Ganapati. It will be accompanied by Art of Living volunteers, artists of Kamayani school, Mansik Aarogya Dhansampada, Janwani and other women and foreign students.
The procession of Tambadi Jogeshwari mandal, the second in line, will be accompanied by three dhol pathaks besides a band and a troupe playing traditional Indian music. The idol of the deity will ride in the mandal's silver palkhi and will be accompanied by mandal members dressed in traditional attire.
Describing their theme for the year, Prasad Kulkarni of the mandal said, "We will be popularizing concepts of 'Beti Bachao' and 'Plant and Protect trees'. These two are serious concerns and we will be carrying promotional material to spread the message".
The chariot of Guruji Talim mandal's idol would be adorned with flowers and will be accompanied by three dhol pathaks, said the mandal's working president Prithviraj Pardeshi. "The floral decorations have been done by two city-based artists. Water conservation and minimizing its wastage is our motto. Only members of our mandal will accompany the procession," he said.
Tulshibaug Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal expects to reach Belbaug Chowk by 2pm and its procession will be led by Lonkar Bandhu, known for playing the nagara (drum), mandal president Vivek Khatavkar said.
As has been the annual trend, a troupe of doctors will accompany the procession to spread the message of saving oneself from diabetes and common ailments. "Another group of college-going students will also be joining us to spread the message of encouraging women in sports to prepare them for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Three dhol pathaks will also be with us," Khatavkar said.
The 100th year of Bal Gangadhar Tilak's clarion call 'Swaraj is my birthright' will be the theme of Kesriwada Trust mandal which was, incidentally, set up by Tilak. Mandal's Deepak Tilak said, "A skit on the theme will be performed by a group of students from Ramanbaug school. We have also involved three dhol pathaks in the procession. We have had a very joyful 10 days of Ganeshotsav, during which we hosted a lecture, plenty of musical programmes and competitions".
The procession is expected to be witnessed by thousands of citizens, students and even expatriates who will come to enjoy the sights and sounds of this cultural extravaganza.