Pune: Eknath Shinde to head Global Ganesh Festival 2025
Pune: Eknath Shinde to head Global Ganesh Festival 2025
Pune, August 13, 2025: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will chair the second edition of the Global Ganesh Festival 2025 to be held in Pune later this year. Minister of Higher and Technical Education, Chandrakant Patil, has been named chief receptionist, while Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple Trust treasurer Mahesh Suryawanshi will head the advisory committee.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by Vaibhav Wagh, Executive President of the festival, in the presence of Aniruddha Yewale, Chief Coordinator; Rushikesh Kayat, Executive Officer; Jivraj Chole, Publicity Head; and Pranav Bhure, Cultural Head.
“The festival was initiated last year to draw more domestic and international visitors to Pune’s Ganeshotsav and to present it on a larger global platform,” Wagh said. The organisers plan to sign MoUs between local mandals and their global counterparts, and host international-level competitions. Infrastructure to promote religious tourism, including assistance for foreign visitors through the ‘Moraya Helpline’, is also on the agenda, he added.
Yewale said the 2025 edition has the support of the state tourism department. “Ganeshotsav is more elaborate than many global festivals, yet lacks the international recognition it deserves. It has the potential to boost tourism, generate employment, and carry our traditional celebration to a worldwide audience,” he said.
Public Ganeshotsav, started by Lokmanya Tilak and Bhausaheb Rangari, is now celebrated in over 100 countries. The Global Ganesh Festival was launched in 2024 by Rashtrapratham Trust, Sadaiv Foundation, and Amit Phatak Foundation in coordination with Jai Ganesh Vyaspith. The 2025 edition will also have the support of the state higher and technical education department and the Pune Union of Working Journalists, Chole said.
