Siddheshnampurkar · Idols on the facade of Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati Temple.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple
The Ganesh temple at the centre of Pune’s Ganeshotsav, and of the city’s year.
Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple
This is the temple Pune organises its year around. It was founded by the confectioner Dagdusheth Halwai and his wife Lakshmibai after they lost their son, and it has become the most visited Ganesh temple in the city — and the focal point of Ganeshotsav, the public Ganesh festival that Pune, more than anywhere, treats as its own. During the festival the surrounding lanes of Budhwar Peth are effectively closed to anything but people. Outside it, the temple is open, busy and straightforward to visit, and the image itself — gold-worked and heavily garlanded — is what everyone comes to stand in front of. It is a working temple, not a monument, and an early morning is a completely different experience from a mid-afternoon.
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What to see
One image, one lane, and one festival that changes everything.
The temple
- The Ganesh image, gold-worked and garlanded, in the main shrine.
- The temple frontage, which opens directly onto the street rather than standing in a compound.
Around it
- The lanes of Budhwar Peth, with sweet shops and offering stalls.
- Ganeshotsav in August or September, when the whole quarter turns over to the festival.
Getting there
Budhwar Peth, in the old city, and walked at the end.
Arriving
- App cabs and auto-rickshaws reach the edge of the quarter; the last lanes are on foot.
- It is a short walk from Shaniwar Wada through the old city.
- During Ganeshotsav the area is closed to vehicles — plan to walk in from some distance.
Best time
Early morning, unless the festival is the reason you came.
When to go
- Early morning is the calmest and the easiest to approach.
- October to February for the weather in the old city.
- Ganeshotsav in August or September is extraordinary and extremely crowded — a deliberate choice either way.
Visitor intelligence
A working temple in a dense quarter.
Before you go
- Dress modestly; footwear is left outside.
- Photography inside the shrine is restricted — follow the signage rather than other visitors.
- Queues are quick on ordinary days and very long during the festival.
Nearby
The old city, on foot.
Frequently asked
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