Ajit Pawar To Inaugurate 36th Pune Festival

The 36th edition of the Pune Festival, blending art, culture, and sports into the Ganeshotsav celebrations, will be inaugurated by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar at Shri Ganesh Kala Krida Rangmanch on September 13. This year’s festival will feature a diverse array of performances and events, including boxing matches, the Poona Golf Cup, dirt track racing, Mallakhamb, a mushaira, Kavi Sammelan, and the play ‘Jan Devachiya Gava.’

The ceremonial installation of the Ganesh idol will take place on September 7 at Hotel Saras, Nehru Stadium, led by Pune municipal commissioner Rajendra Bhosle and his wife, Deepali Bhosale. The main events will run from September 8 to 17.

For the first time, long-time festival patron Hema Malini will not be in attendance due to scheduling conflicts. This year, the festival introduces a focus on tourism, with a seminar titled “Promotion of Pune’s Tourism” featuring officials from the state tourism department, the Collector’s Office, and the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce.

The event will also pay tribute to iconic figures like Md Rafi, Madan Mohan, Raj Kapoor, and Guru Dutt, whose birth centenaries are celebrated this year. Cultural highlights include Gujarati folk dances, a tribal dance from Nagaland, and a performance on international harmony by Symbiosis International University students. The Kerala Mahotsav will also return for the seventh year, showcasing religious harmony through cultural displays.

Abeda Inamdar, convenor of the All India Mushaira, shared that Salman Khurshid will serve as the chief guest, with MP Imran Pratapgarhi as the guest of honor. The festival continues to be a symbol of national integration.