The Tulsibaug Ganpati during the immersion procession on Laxmi road, on Friday. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)The main Ganesh immersion procession in Pune city concluded after 33 hours and 27 minutes.As per tradition, the Visarjan (immersion) procession began on Anant Chaturdashi on Friday, with rituals for the first manache (prominent) Ganpati, Kasba Ganpati, beginning at 8.43 am.The procession concluded around 6.10 pm on Saturday after the Maharashtra Tarun Mandal crossed the main immersion route, according to a press release issued by Pune city police.The immersion procession took longer to conclude this year than in previous years. In 2025, it concluded after 32 hours and 26 minutes. In 2024, it ended after 28 hours and 45 minutes. The procession lasted 30 hours and 25 minutes in 2023 and 31 hours in 2022.Asked why the immersion procession lasted longer this year, Pune City Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said, “Metro service has increased the number of people visiting the main four procession routes on Laxmi Road, Tilak Road, Kelkar Road and Kumthekar Road. About 650 mandals pass through these four procession routes. So there was an obvious increase in time taken for the conclusion of the immersion procession.” The Tambdi Jogeshwari Ganpati during the immersion process on Laxmi road, Friday. (Express photo by Arul Horizon)“About six lakh people travelled through the Metro on Friday. So our priority was not to reduce the time taken for the procession, but to ensure the safety of devotees and maintain law and order,” Kumar said.Kumar added that, along with crowd management, police also focused on women’s security and traffic management during the processions. He said 33 ambulances passed through crowded areas along the procession routes from Friday 1 pm until Saturday evening.Story continues below this adMeanwhile, police said the idol of Kasba Ganpati Mandal, the first manache Ganpati, was immersed at Nateshwar Ghat at 4.43 pm. The Tambdi Jogeshwari Mandal, the second manache Ganpati, was immersed at the same ghat at 5.02 pm, followed by Guruji Talim Mandal, the third, at 5.05 pm. Tulshibaug Ganpati Mandal, the fourth, was immersed at 5.40 pm, while Kesari Wada Ganpati, the fifth, was immersed at Panchaleshwar Ghat at 6.12 pm.Last year, the immersion of the five manache Ganpati mandals concluded at 5.38 pm.The five manache Ganpati have both ceremonial and historical importance. Five other prominent mandals also attract large crowds of devotees. These include the Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganesh Mandal, which began its procession at 4.18 pm and concluded at 8.27 pm at Panchaleshwar Ghat on Friday.The other four prominent mandals concluded their immersions in the early hours of Saturday. Hutatma Babu Genu Mandal was immersed at 1.05 am and Shri Jilbya Maruti Mandal Trust at 1.10 am at Nateshwar Ghat, followed by Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganpati Mandal at 4.08 am and Akhil Mandai Mandal at 4.34 am.Story continues below this adThe Shri Kasba Ganpati Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal Trust apologised to devotees for a delay of about 30 minutes in reaching the Tilak statue at the start of the Anant Chaturdashi procession. In its letter, the trust said such a delay had occurred for the first time in its 134-year-old tradition and that steps would be taken to prevent a recurrence next year.Explaining the delay, the trust said the route from the Kasba Ganpati Mandal’s pandal to the Tilak statue in Mandai was obstructed because chariots from other mandals were already stationed along the route. It also said members of some dhol-tasha groups intermittently moved ahead with their drums, further slowing the procession.