The Dagduseth Halwai Ganpati,of Pune is one of the oldest Ganpati temples in India. It was established in the year 1893, located very  close to Shaniwarwada in the heart of Pune city.It is said that he lost his son in a serious illness,due to which he and his wife went into depression.His Guru advised him to make idols of Lord Ganesha and and take care like he would father his son. It was then the first idol of Ganesha was made.Looking at his dedication, one of Dagdusheth’s good friends, Lokmanya Balgandharva Tilak- associated with the independence movement in the late 1800s, came up with the idea of transforming Ganesh Chaturthi into a public festival.

The main ideology behind this decision was to bring the people together and unite them against the British. In this way this festival came to be celebrated at a community level every year rather than being restricted to a household affair.The temple is visited by hundreds of devotees everyday who can watch the daily aarti and the pooja from outside the temple.The idol of Ganesha is adorned with gold and precious jewellery which have been offered to the Elephant God by the devotees as a token of their love and affection. The idol is decorated with nearly 7 kilos of gold.