Every year, one Ganpati in Pune gets the first bow. This happens before any other pandal even lights up. That Ganpati is Kasba Ganapati. It is the city’s oldest and most loved. It sits in Kasba Peth, the area where Pune itself began, close to 400 years ago.
This Ganeshotsav 2026, that old tradition has a new partner. Belvalkar Group is a Pune-based home builder. It has worked in the city’s old areas for years. Now it is backing the cultural and heritage side of the festival at Kasba Ganapati. You can see the news and festival updates on Belvalkar Group’s Instagram, here, here, and here.
Why Kasba Ganapati Matters
Kasba Ganapati holds the title of Manacha Pahila Ganpati. That means it is the first of Pune’s five most honoured Ganpatis. The story starts in the 1630s. A rare idol was found near the home of Vinayak Bhatt Thakkar, in what is now Kasba Peth. Mata Jijabai, Shivaji Maharaj’s mother, saw this as a good sign. She had a small shrine built around it. Shivaji Maharaj himself took part in the rites. A custom grew from there. Shivaji would visit this shrine for luck before he set out on his campaigns.
That is why Kasba Ganapati is seen as Pune’s gram daivat, its guardian deity. It is not just one more temple in the city. It is also why the festival that grew from it carries so much weight. Lokmanya Tilak turned it into a public festival in 1893. He used Kasba Ganapati’s roots as his starting point. Within a year, close to 108 Ganesh groups had formed across Pune. That pattern has not changed much. Ganeshotsav still draws huge crowds through the city’s old lanes each year, and Kasba Ganapati still leads the way.
What the Collaboration Involves
The note put out for Ganeshotsav 2026 says it in a simple way: a new phase is starting, where old ways meet new life. Kasba Ganapati is called the one that has always kept Pune’s heritage safe. This year, it is joined by Belvalkar Group, a firm that has built in these same lanes for years.
In short, Belvalkar Group is backing some of the cultural and heritage parts of Ganeshotsav 2026 near Kasba Peth. This is an area where the firm has also put up several homes over time. It is not a big paid deal. It is more like a local builder showing up for the area’s oldest and most loved festival. Photos and news from this tie-up are on the Instagram posts linked above. They show how the temple frames this year’s festival, and Belvalkar Group’s part in it.
Belvalkar Group’s Work Across Pune’s Old Areas
Belvalkar Group has spent years building homes in the old Pune belt around Kasba Peth. Most of this work is in spots where old blocks get torn down and rebuilt, not in brand-new suburbs.
Prabhat Road is one of Pune’s older, high-end streets. There, the firm’s Niwant project offers premium homes. Bhandarkar Road is a calm, leafy part of the city. It is home to the firm’s Ashirwad project. Anand Dham sits on Law College Road, near Fergusson and SP College, a spot loved by working folks. Kothrud grew from a quiet green belt into one of Pune’s top addresses.
The firm has put up several projects there, including Aathesh, Snehshilp, Parikshit, and Meera. Erandwane sits close to the river and Karve Road. It is home to the firm’s Yashodhan and Amara projects. Older, finished projects like Parichay, Shantibramha, and Laxminiwas follow the same path, in areas such as Navi Peth and Dahanukar Colony.
Put together, this work is mostly redevelopment. Old housing blocks get pulled down and rebuilt on the same land. These areas already have years of schools, shops, and roads around them. It is the same part of the city that Kasba Ganapati has watched over for years and years. That link is part of why this year’s tie-up feels like a good fit, not just a one-off ad push.
Why These Two Things Belong Together
A nearly 400-year-old temple and a home builder do not sound like an obvious pair. But both are, in their own way, in the business of keeping things going. Kasba Ganapati has stood at the heart of Pune since the 1630s. Belvalkar Group has spent its years rebuilding homes in these same old areas. In both cases, the goal is to give something old a fresh start, without wiping out what came before it.
Puneri varsa, Pune’s heritage, is not just something a festival keeps alive once a year. It shows up in the homes that go up around that festival for the rest of the year too. It shows up in the areas a builder chooses to work in, and how much care it takes with what is already there.
Pune’s Other Four Manache Ganpati
Kasba Ganpati is the first of Pune’s five Manache Ganpati, the five most honoured Ganpati mandals in the city. The other four each hold their own place in this story.
Tambdi Jogeshwari comes second. It goes back to the 15th century and honours the goddess seen as Pune’s presiding deity. Each year, the idol is immersed and a new one takes its place, a custom that still holds today. Lokmanya Tilak gave it second rank back in 1893.
Guruji Talim comes third. It began in 1887, when a Hindu family and a Muslim family came together to set it up. It still stands as a mark of two communities sharing one tradition.
Tulshibaug Ganpati comes fourth. It started in 1901, at Pune’s well-known Tulshibaug market. Its idol stands 13 feet tall, and in 1975 it became the first in Pune to use a glass fibre statue.
Kesariwada Ganpati comes fifth. Lokmanya Tilak set it up in 1894, in the same wada tied to the freedom struggle. Its story still links back to that history each year.
Together, these five mandals carry much of Pune’s Ganeshotsav, each with its own rank and its own story. For a closer look at all five, along with Ganeshotsav 2026 dates and rituals, see Belvalkar Group’s guide to Pune’s 5 Manache Ganpati.
For live updates on Kasba Ganpati through the festival, follow the temple’s own account on Instagram, @shrikasbaganpati.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kasba Ganapati famous for?
It is famous for being Pune’s first honoured Ganpati. It also has a direct link to Mata Jijabai and Shivaji Maharaj, who took part in its rites and sought its blessings before he set out on campaigns.
Why is Kasba Ganapati called the first Manacha Ganpati?
Because of its status as Pune’s gram daivat, or guardian deity, and because its roots go back to the start of Kasba Peth itself.
When did Ganeshotsav become a public festival in Pune?
Lokmanya Tilak made it public in 1893. He used Kasba Ganapati’s roots as his starting point. Within a year, around 108 groups had formed across the city.
What exactly is Belvalkar Group’s role in Ganeshotsav 2026?
It is backing the cultural and heritage side of the festival at Kasba Ganapati. It is not a big paid deal, more a local builder backing the area’s oldest festival.
Where can I see updates on the collaboration?
On Belvalkar Group’s Instagram page, linked above, where the news and festival updates have been posted.
What kind of projects has Belvalkar Group built in Pune?
Mostly redevelopment projects across old central Pune areas, including Niwant on Prabhat Road, Ashirwad on Bhandarkar Road, Anand Dham on Law College Road, and homes across Kothrud and Erandwane.
