Preparations for Morgaon’s historic Dussehra festival in Pune district have entered their final stage, with organisers and villagers prioritising crowd safety and restricting unauthorised fireworks during the 18-hour palanquin procession of Shri Mayureshwar. The annual celebration will also feature five ceremonial cannon salutes, decorated bullock carts, traditional rituals and a major police deployment.
The festival is held at the Shri Mayureshwar temple in Morgaon, regarded as the first among the Ashtavinayak temples. According to the report, the celebration has been observed for several hundred years and is said to have a tradition dating back to the period of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj of the Satara throne. It remains an important event for families in Morgaon and surrounding hamlets, with residents across age groups participating in the proceedings.
A gram sabha was held at the temple complex last week to discuss arrangements for the festival. Residents from Morgaon and nearby settlements considered the growing scale of the event, the length of the procession, the difficulties associated with fireworks and measures required to prevent accidents. The meeting particularly focused on the possibility of some young participants setting off fireworks incorrectly while the procession is moving through the village.
Villagers have decided that fireworks must not be set off unauthorised in front of the procession. Participants have also been asked to ensure that the celebrations do not cause inconvenience or danger to others. The decision is intended to preserve the traditional character of the festival while giving greater priority to safety during the public procession.
One of the festival’s key features is the ceremonial salute by five honourary cannons, following a Peshwa-era tradition. Bulls used to pull the cannons, five decorated bullock carts positioned within the procession, saffron flags, torchbearers and traditional lamps are expected to form part of the spectacle. The deity will be dressed in ceremonial royal attire, while designated procession officials, service volunteers, bullock-cart custodians, local tradition bearers and devotees will receive customary honours.
The procession will include several religious and community rituals over its 18-hour route. These include the Harambali performance, an honourary Gondhal at the Firangai temple, a special aarti for Pandurang of Pandharpur at the main square, the reading of genealogies at the Sonoba temple and a traditional Khandoba aarti in Dhangarwada. The procession will also visit village deities and guardian deities located in and around Morgaon.
Fireworks remain an established part of the festival. The report states that the process for issuing licences for the display fireworks has been completed through the district collector’s office. However, residents have stressed that safety rules must be followed because of the growing scale of the celebrations and the large number of people expected to gather along the route.
The temple परिसर and surrounding areas are being decorated with electric illumination, which is also expected to draw visitors. The report says devotees from across Maharashtra attend the Dussehra celebration in large numbers. The Supa police station is expected to deploy substantial security arrangements so that the festival and the long procession can proceed peacefully and safely.
