Inauguration of Dagdusheth’s Padmanabha Swamy Temple Replica Decoration on Wednesday, 27th August

Pune: The Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Public Ganpati Trust and Suvarnayug Tarun Mandal are celebrating the 133rd Ganesh Festival this year with a grand replica of Kerala’s famous Padmanabha Swamy Temple. On Wednesday, 27th August, at 11:11 a.m., the idol installation (pran-pratishtha) ceremony will be conducted by Jagadguru Shri Ramanujacharya Swami Ghanshyamacharya Maharaj (Jhulariya Peeth, Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh). In the evening, at 7 p.m., the inauguration of the temple’s illumination will be held, informed Trust President Sunil Rasne during a press conference.

The press conference was attended by Trust President Sunil Rasne, Vice President Dr. Ramchandra alias Balasaheb Paranjape, Vice President Manik Chavan, Treasurer Mahesh Suryawanshi, General Secretary and MLA Hemant Rasne, Joint Secretary Amol Kedari, Suvarnayug Tarun Mandal President Prakash Chavan, Yatish Rasne, Saurabh Raikar, Tushar Raikar, Mangesh Suryawanshi, Amol Chavan, Vinayak Rasne and other office-bearers and volunteers.

On the morning of 27th August at 8:30 a.m., before the installation, a procession of the Lord’s idol, decorated in a flower-adorned chariot, will be taken out from the main temple. After the installation, devotees may have darshan in the festival pavilion from 12 noon onwards. In the evening, the illumination and decoration will be inaugurated.

The Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala’s capital, is one of the 108 Divya Desams – sacred abodes of Lord Vishnu as per Sri Vaishnava tradition. This year, a magnificent replica of this temple will be showcased in Pune’s Ganesh Festival.

The replica will feature a five-tier Gopuram, depicting Krishna Leela, the Ramayana, the Saptarishis, horses, elephants, and lions. Inside the sanctum will be idols of Vishnu-Lakshmi, Shiva-Parvati, Shri Krishna, and Narasimha. Above the main pavilion, in an octagonal chamber, a grand reclining idol of Lord Padmanabha Swamy will be placed. The replica, about 100 feet tall, 120 feet long, and 90 feet wide, will house 30 massive pillars and 500 idols of deities, sages, and saints. The sanctum will be decorated in golden hues, with an octagonal ceiling. The design allows devotees to comfortably view the deity from afar. Art director Vinayak Raskar has designed the temple, and Kale Mandapwale managed the pavilion setup.

Special Events during Ganeshotsav

Rushi Panchami: Collective Atharvashirsha Chanting by 31,000 Women
On Thursday, 28th August at 6 a.m., as every year, 31,000 women will collectively recite the Atharvashirsha. Pune Division’s Charity Commissioner Rajni Kshirsagar will be present. From 10 p.m. to midnight, Warkari devotees will offer devotional service through Hari Jagar. Other events include Surya Namaskar, Agnihotra, Vedic recitations, and women’s Haldi-Kunku gatherings. Daily Maha-Abhishek puja will be held at 5 a.m. followed by Ganesh Yag (8 a.m.–12 noon by Milind Rahurkar Shastri, and 12–4 p.m. in South Indian style by Nataraj Shastri). Devotees may personally perform abhishek from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.

5th September: Collective Satyavinayak Puja
On 5th September, the pavilion will host a Satyavinayak Puja, a ritual mentioned in the Satyavinayak scripture as being prescribed by Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, Adishakti, and Surya to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. This puja holds special spiritual significance and will be made accessible to devotees.

Daily Rituals & Offerings
Every day, various food offerings will be made to Lord Ganesha, which will later be distributed as prasad. Drinking water facilities have been arranged for devotees. From 5–6 a.m. daily, school students will chant the Atharvashirsha. On Ekadashi (3rd September), a Mantra Jagar will be held (3–5 p.m.), and on Anant Chaturdashi, the grand concluding immersion procession of Lord Ganesha will be carried out in the Ganesh Rath.

Jay Ganesh Health Service Campaign

Under this initiative:

Three 24×7 medical aid centers will function at City Post, Ganpati Temple, and Mangalya Mangal Hall.

Free medical services will be available at Bharati Hospital, Surya Sahyadri Hospital, Jahangir Hospital, Ruby Hall Clinic, Silver Birch Multispeciality Hospital, Dr. D.Y. Patil Hospital (Pimpri), Sassoon Hospital, and Sancheti Hospital.

A 9-bed free ICU with ventilators will be available near the temple (by Maharashtra State Health Department).

N.M. Wadia Heart Hospital will provide free cardiac ambulance service.

The Trust’s 11 ambulances will serve Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad free of cost. Free medicines will also be distributed at these centers.

₹50 Crore Insurance Cover & Security with 150 CCTV Cameras

The Trust has arranged an insurance cover worth ₹50 crore for devotees across Pune, PCMC, and cantonment areas. This covers stampede, terrorist attack, or aerial strike. Compensation includes:

₹5 lakh per accidental death,

₹2 lakh for partial disability,

Up to ₹50,000 for medical expenses for accident injuries.

To facilitate darshan, four LED screens will be installed (three near Dagdusheth Mandir premises and one at Budhwar Chowk). Online darshan will be available 24/7 via the Trust’s website, app, and social media.

For security, 150 CCTV cameras will monitor the premises, supported by 250 male and female private security staff along with the police. Permanent CCTV cameras in the temple area will also aid surveillance.