The centenary celebrations of Mumbai’s iconic Ganesh pandals are set to dazzle with remarkable and elaborate idols.
Ganesh Gully, Lalbaug Ganesh Gully’s grand centenary comes up in 2027. Mandal secretary Swapnil Parab says the 22 ft tall ‘baal roop’ Ganpati crafted by Akash Tirmal harks back to a similar idol that was carved by master sculptor Dinanath Weling decades ago. GSB Seva Mandal, King’s Circle The 72-year-old mandal is organising its five-day celebration from Sept 14-18.
In a first, the Adani Group has announced a partnership.
Mandal vice president Praneel Panchal said this would help their programmes acquire grandeur and scale. But Parab says the lines for darshan have not diminished. This season the Mumbaicha Raja, as its idol is known, is celebrating its 99th Ganeshotsav within a set depicting Pandharpur and the saint tradition of Maharashtra. However, social media is hotly debating several aspects of Tirmal’s idol, including body proportions, attire and how the feet of the idol are inaccessible for ‘charan sparsh’. GenZ is appreciating the pandal heartily. The wealthy GSB community’s gratitude shines forth in the glittering gold hands and feet of the Southern style idol, its dazzling ornaments and the silver mooshak seated at its feet.
The 12 ft Raja carved by the Kambli moortikars sits inside a set resembling a grand Shiva temple. Queues do not diminish despite 24/7 live streaming darshan. The Raja’s mandal netted Rs 48.5 lakh in cash offerings by the second day of Ganeshotsav Sept 15. Treasurer Mangesh Dalvi also reported collections of 66.7 gm gold and 2.8 kg silver. A few weeks ago, it had donated Rs 21 lakh to the victims of the Bhuleshwar Cha Raja tragedy where the idol toppled over killing two members of that mandal. Rs 11 lakh was given to the organisers and Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased. Thousands of people gathered to admire moortikar Siddhesh Dighole’s idol during the aagman yatra Aug 29.
MUMBAI: Ganesh Gully and Lalbaugcha Raja have begun the countdown to their 100th anniversary while the golden GSB idol of King’s Circle and the creative island of Khetwadi continue to draw worshippers in thousands, reports Bella Jaisinghani launching TOI’s annual series on Ganeshotsav pandals Lalbaugcha Raja The pandal that defines Ganeshotsav in Mumbai is now in its 93rd year. A steady stream of politicians, film stars and other celebrities have been arriving for darshan. Chinchpokli Cha Chintamani The oldest mandal in the Girangaon (mill land) belt of Chinchpokli, Lalbaug, Parel and Sewri is celebrating its 107th Ganeshotsav. The kind of popularity that Chinchpokli Cha Chintamani commands, online and offline, is the stuff of legend. This year, the Chintamani has been housed inside a replica of the Tirupati Balaji temple alongside the Swarnagiri mandir.
The mandal had earlier sought insurance of Rs 508 crore for its pandal this year, but surpassed its own expectations by obtaining a policy worth Rs 703 crore. Chairman Santosh Narkar says moortikar Aniket Shewale’s idol is 38 ft in height and holds a veena in its hands. Lord Ganesh is the king of 64 arts and music is prime among them. The Raja is a fixture on the Khetwadi circuit and receives a seasonal footfall of around 12 to 15 lakh.
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Member Niranjan Dikshit said, “We conduct blood donation camps, free health check-ups and distribute biscuits and fruits to patients at JJ Hospital. GSB has peppered its social media pages with glimpses of celebrity visits by ministers, filmstars, bankers and educators. It has maintained a record as the city’s richest Ganesh mandal. Khetwadicha Raja, Khambata Lane This reputed mandal, one of many in the creative lanes of Khetwadi, is celebrating its 57th year. “The theme is based on music and Omkar Swaroop. Our decoration is also based on musical themes. Our aagman yatra is a famous event and was very successful. Download the TOI App.
