Pune Festival Welcomes Bappa with Grandeur; PMRDA Chief Abhijit Chaudhary Performs Puja and Aarti
Pune:The festive spirit of Ganeshotsav filled Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium as the idol of Pune Festival’s Ganpati Bappa was ceremonially installed, marking the beginning of this year’s celebrations.
Abhijit Chaudhary, Chief Executive Officer and Commissioner of the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), along with his wife, Dr. Anushree Chaudhary, performed the traditional puja and aarti on the occasion.
Pune Festival President Krishnakumar Goyal, Vice-President Abhay Chhajed, Secretary Dr. Satish Desai, former Maharashtra Minister of State for Home and festival trustee Ramesh Bagwe, along with several dignitaries and citizens, were present at the ceremony.
The Pune Festival organisers felicitated the Chaudhary couple during the event.
Speaking after the felicitation, Abhijit Chaudhary said the Pune Festival has forged a deep emotional bond with the people of Pune.
“Pune Festival is not merely a festival; it represents the emotions of countless Punekars. That is why it has truly evolved into a people’s festival,” he said.
Originally launched by the late Suresh Kalmadi, the Pune Festival has over the years established an important place in the city’s cultural calendar, attracting citizens with its diverse celebrations and programmes.
The organisers announced that all activities and programmes of this year’s Pune Festival will be completely free for citizens. They said the enthusiastic response from Punekars since the beginning of the festivities has encouraged the organisers to work towards restoring the festival’s wider recognition on the national cultural map.
With Bappa’s ceremonial installation, the Pune Festival has once again begun its journey of bringing together tradition, culture and the people of Pune in the true spirit of Ganeshotsav.
