Faraskhana Sub Control room for Ganpati monitoring
This crowd-tracking website is the brainchild of 25-year-old developer Gurnoor Singh. The platform, which uses GPS technology, helps devotees get real-time updates on the 29 pandals it has mapped. Most of these pandals display a QR code to the website, which Singh says had more than 10,000 visitors in the past three days. “For the visarjan, we have installed more than 225 cameras in the core areas. Over 3,000 cameras with analytics have been deployed at critical locations across the city, equipped with more than 25 types of analytics, including facial recognition and weapon detection,” says ACP (IT) Vivek Pawar.
The organisers of Kasba Ganapati pandal have introduced a chatbot on WhatsApp to automatically collect donations and generate receipts. To iron out these creases, some pandals have introduced a live-streaming feature. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Pune | Silver Rate in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune | Petrol Price in Pune | Diesel Price in Pune | CNG Price in Pune | LPG Price in Pune Stay updated with the latest Pune news.
“On the security front, we have advanced CCTV cameras with round-the-clock monitoring and AI cameras to help with crowd management as thousands of devotees visit for darshan,” Mahesh Suryavanshi, treasurer of Shreemant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati Trust, says. It is hassle-free and seamless,” said a member of the mandal. This is a livestream that allows devotees to witness aarti, etc,” says Nitin Pandit, treasurer, Shree Tulshibaug Ganesh Mandal. We have used AI to visualise the script,” said Akash Karale, a member of the mandal. Each interaction generates “Urja points”, which contribute towards a solarisation initiative for an identified village community or school, mandal members say.
Pune: This year’s Ganeshotsav got a high-tech upgrade with advanced tools to manage crowds, collect donations and even facilitate virtual darshan. Devotees in particular are pleased as it has become easier for them to partake in the festivities. Adoption of technology, pandal organisers say, has the dual benefits of streamlining the devotee experience, as well as ensuring their safety and security. The mandal also boasts a conveyor belt which takes coconuts from the idol to the devotees, as well as into trucks. “Donors can just click on the link and make the payment. For Kothrud resident Archana Suri, this feature was a standout. “The advantage of this is that we know it is going directly in the fund and when there is a crowd, it is preferable to make a donation this way. Kunal Sarangi, a resident of Wakad, used a live crowd tracker to plan his visit. “It was easy to map the route and I easily reached the venue without having to wait in long queues. “Using the website, a devotee can build a route based on crowds and parking. It also shows Metro stations and distances from the pandals,” Singh explains. With crowds surging towards the pandals, some devotees might miss out on the darshan. “We have provided live darshan facility on our website and YouTube channel. Akhil Mandai Mandal too has this facility. “We will release a special song, ‘Namo Sharda Gajanan’, for the festival. Meanwhile, Tilak Road Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav pandal in Shedgewadi has a solar panel — with every Charan Sparsh (the act of devoutly touching the idol’s feet), Urjamandal (halo around Ganapati idol) lights up. The police too have adopted technology, with help from camera feeds from prominent pandals, PMC building and Metro stations. Download the TOI App.