From keeping an eco-friendly idol when the festival was first celebrated in sarvajanik (public) manner to doing creative things, Ganpati festival across Mumbai is a mix of social messages to celebrating the other deity of the state - Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj this festive season.
Keshavji Naik Chawl
Keshavji Naik's Chawl is the first Sarvajanik Ganpati of the city. This year it celebrates its 131st year after it was first held in 1983. "The public celebration of Ganpati was inspired by Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak's call. His close associates Raosaheb Limaye and Godse Shastri were the key people to start the public festival," said Kumar Walekar, secretary of Shri Sarvajanik Ganeshutsav Sanstha which organises the festival. Until then, celebration of Ganpati festival was a family affair. The festival was held to mobilise people and create awareness. Post independence, the Sanstha focused on many activities that would help devotees be more aware of current affairs, make them creative and active. "We have lecture series on financial markets, robotics (advanced technology), narmada parikrama. Emphasis is given on baudhik (intellectual) and sharirik (gymnast) events too. The idea is to develop the future generation. We also have a Rangoli competition. As we celebrated 75th year of independence, we called senior officers from army, navy and airforce, who have also fought wars and are battlefield veterans to give lectures and inspire people," added Walekar.
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Jitekarwadi Ganpati
Jitekarwadi Ganpati, which is known for its novel creation of the Ganpati idol, also calls itself Mumbaitla Doosra Ganpati. Like Keshavji Naik Chawl, this too is situated in the Girgaon belt. The Sarvajanik Shree Ganeshutsav Mandal which organises the Ganpati says it has been celebrating the festival in a public way since 1894. "We started after Tilak started it at Keshwavji Naik chawl. This year is our 130th year of celebration and we have made an idol of sev bundi. We have two idols, an eco-friendly one and a creative one. All the focus is on how to make the creative one. We do not focus on other decorations," informed Ajit Pitkar, president of the Mandal. On it being second merely being a claim, Pitkar said, "There was no record back then but no one has even challenged us being the second Ganpati in Mumbai. When the festival started, this place was with a Muslim person by the name Ibrahim Rashid Jitekar. His descendant has a shop here," said Pitkar. The mandal orgnaises Earlier Ganpatis that have drawn crowds and acclaim from people were those made of chocolate cake, jelly, ball bearing, pearl, marble, american diamond, dry fruits, mukhwas and spices. "We do not reveal about our creative Ganpati and also do it towards the end so that no one copies it. We also make the creative ones on our own," said Ayush Lonari, its art director.
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Khetwadi 11th lane - Mumbaicha Maharaja
In its 62nd year of celebration, the Khetwadi 11th lane Ganpati is considered to be the tallest Ganpati this festive season. "It is 45 feet and this year he is Indra Dev. The idea was that he is God of Gods. Indra Dev is considered God of God so why not have him as Indra Dev this time around," said Santosh Patwa, secretary, Khetwadi 11th Lane Sarvajanik Ganeshutsav Mandal popularly known as Mumbaicha Maharaja. Patwa said there was no height restriction so they decided to make the towering Ganpati idol that wields a symbolic thunderbolt. "Last year we came into the world record books. We broke that record and our aim is to be the tallest Ganpati in Mumbai this time too. The second tallest is in Khambatta lane which is also made by our murtikar, Kunal Patil," said Patwa. The mandal aims to break the record of Ganpati idol at Khairatabad in Hyderabad which was over 60 feet. "We feel that Maharashtra's name also should be there in the tall Ganpatis so we plan to make the tallest Ganpati in India some day," said Patwa. The mandal said it tries to do a number of charitable activities including distributing books, clothes, and conducting blood donation camps among others.
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Chinchpokli Chintamani Ganpati
Chintamani Ganpati at Chinchpokli dates its first Ganpati to 1920. "It is the oldest Ganpati of Chinchpokli-Parel-Lalbaug belt. After our Ganpati came the Ganpati at Ganesh Gulli and after that the Lalbaug Ganpati. This is the 104th year of our celebration," informed Santosh Sohani, secretary of Chinchpokli Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal that orgnaises the Ganpati festival. The height of the idol continues to be around 22 feet. Unlike most years where the Ganpati is different in the sense that it holds different things in its hand and has different looks, this year it has a theme. "To mark the inauguration of Ram Mandir next year, we have that as the theme. The Ganpati is flanked by mother Seeta, Lakshman and Hanumanji," said Sohani. The mandal also prides itself in having various charitable activities that range from a nursery, a health center, library, and blood donation camps among others.
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Ganesh Gulli Ganpati
Ganesh Gulli Ganpati is another popular place that devotees throng to while going mandal hopping in the Chinchpokli-Parel belt. The mandal is celebrating its 96th year of getting Ganpati that sees thousands line up to catch a glimpse even when the idol is being brought from the workshop. The Lalbuag Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal Ganesh Gulli Mumbaicha Raja, as it is called, has made an elaborate set of Raigad Fort to celebrate the coronation of the Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. "We are doing Shivrajya Abhishek as the theme as it is 350th year. It was a good occasion to have that as the theme," said Swapnil Parab, secretary of the Mumbaicha Raja Ganpati.
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Andhericha Raja
Besides being popular in the neighbourhood, Andhericha Raja is also known to have visarjan later as compared to other Ganpatis. The Azad Nagar Sarvajanik Utsav Samiti, which gets Andhericha Raja, celebrates the festival from September 19 to October 2. This is the 58th year of the celebrations. Like some other prominent Ganpati mandals, this year it has kept Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's coronation as the theme. "The look and feel of the place will be that of the Raigad fort when someone comes to the pandal. We are having meghdambari, cannons, elephants and nagaras. A number of performances are also held at the mandal," said Uday Salian, spokesperson of the Mandal, which also witnesses actors and actresses drop by to seek blessings. The mandal also has a dress code for both male and female devotees.
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Vile Parlecha Peshwa
The Bal Gopal Mitra Mandal Vile Parlecha Peshwa is having its 35th year of celebration. Of the 35 years, the mandal has had an eco-friendly idol for the past 16 years. "This year too we have an eco-friendly idol. It is made of paper using coconut husks. The idol is 22 feet tall," informed Digambar Mayekar of the Mandal. The mandal this year has a theme 'My garbage my responsibility' in line with its aim to celebrate eco-friendly festivals. The mandal has also made a kachrasur (garbage demon) to warn people of the harm neglecting waste can do. It has made a globe half covered with ocean and half covered with garbage through which one passes to get to the mandal.
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