Early Sunday morning , the pouring rain almost put an end to my sketching till I found shelter under a makeshift stall of a flower seller opposite Kasba Peth Ganapati’s Mandap. This is the third year in a row Urban sketchers Pune have been invited to share their sketches of the event.

The rain was no deterrent to the hordes of devotees who queued up patiently for a view of the Kasba Peth Ganapati idol. They all removed their footwear at the side before entering for a Darshan .

Even in the thronging crowds an arm outstretched for a selfie was ever present.

The wandering Minstrels of Deccan were collecting alms from the devotees. They are dressed in tall saffron caps and flowing saffron robes and wear a beaded necklace made of Cowrie shells with a picture of the goddess they pray to, in a locket and they sing in praise of their goddess.

The flower seller just opposite the Mandap functioned from a makeshift stall where all his business belongings were stored beneath two tables. He also was a custodian for some devotees umbrellas and slippers.

The children of the flower seller were also sleeping on the pavement near his table under a makeshift tarpaulin and woke up with the crowds thronging the stall.

Kasba Peth Ganapati is the presiding deity of Pune and leads the immersion procession on the last day of the festival.