August heralds the beginning of India’s merry march into the festive part of the year. With Raksha Bandhan, Navroz and Eid already behind us, India is gearing up for the bigger festivals. Come September and the country will welcome its favorite god, Ganesha, which will be followed by Navratri, Dussehra and of course the biggest festival of them all — Diwali! On September 5, India will celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi Eventhough this festival is celebrated with much pomp and joy all across India, Mumbai and Pune are the only cities where the elephant god is welcomed on a grand scale. The celebrations here are unmatched. Celebrations involve 11 days of non-stop frolicking, visiting various Ganpati pandals, waiting to relish modaks and standing long hours in queue only to get Ganesha’s darshan.
Ganesh Chaturthi falls on the fourth day of Bhadrapada. For most part, the festival was celebrated privately, inside people’s homes but it took the genius of one man who brought the festival into the public domain. The manner in which Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated today owes its root to a freedom fighter in Maharashtra. And so, before we introduce you to Mumbai’s most famous Ganesha mandals, it is only fair we take a short trip down the annals of history.
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History of Ganesh Chaturthi:
Freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak initiated the idea of making Ganesh Chaturthi a sarvajanik festival in 1893. He probably might have never thought that this idea would be loved and widely accepted with so much popularity. Ganesha used to be Peshwa’s family deity and this festival was celebrated with much pomp during their reign. However, with the fall of Peshwas, this festival went back to become a private affair till Lokmanya Tilak stepped in and praised this festival in Kesari, his newspaper. Tilak’s main aim of bringing this festival out in the public was to ensure that there are no communal clashes and to bridge any gap that exists. And in those times, the British strongly disapproved of public and social gatherings and that made this festival even more popular.
Back then, Ganesh Chaturthi was also used as a front to conduct secret meetings by revolutionaries. Soon, in no time, the celebration of the elephant-god spread across India. And while the festival is celebrated all over the country, it is in Pune and Mumbai that the celebrations are best seen.
Mumbai is known to be a melting pot of cultures that homes people of different faiths. And Ganesh Chaturthi is just one of the many festivals that the city loves to celebrate with pomp. The whole city comes together to bring in the celebrations and the city all the 11 days is hustling with a lot of noise and devotional music.
According to Hindu mythology, Ganesha is the child of Shiva and Parvati and has the head of an elephant and four hands that holds items like trishul, modak, lotus and ankush. Ganesha got his elephant head when Shiva unaware of who he actually was cut of his head in a fit of rage. This moment of anger happened when Shiva wished to meet Parvati and was stopped by Ganesha. Fearing Parvati’s reaction, who had created Ganesha out of clay and appointed him to protect and guard her while she bathed, Shiva asked his ganas to get the head of any living creature that they first come across. And that is how Ganesha got an elephant head. From that day Ganesha was raised and loved as their child and the name literally means the head of ganas. In India, Ganesha is prayed before the beginning of anything auspicious. You will also see Ganpati idols in very house and at the entrance of many houses.
This year, if you are in Mumbai in September, do not miss out on the festivities. Ganesh Chaturthi lights up the whole city and at every street you will find a Ganesha mandal. This is what most Mumbaikars love doing- mandal hopping just to catch a glimpse of the beautiful Ganesha idols. Mumbai’s Ganesha idols are one of the best and a lot of preparations and efforts go into setting up these mandals.
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The colorful and vibrant Ganesha idols that are displayed all over the city is sure to leave you awestruck. Making Ganesha idols is a big booming business and it is usually passed down to generations. This skill of creating such beautiful idols is mostly run in the family. Intensive labor work is required and many migrants also come down to extend their help. It is after this that you get to see stunning Ganpati idols gracing many mandals. And if in Mumbai, there are many iconic Ganpati idols and mandals that you must visit. And let us tell you, it is not easy to get a glimpse of these idols. People stand in queue for unimaginable hours to get a darshan. So be all prepared, both mentally and physically to visit these idols. Listed below are the best and the most popular Ganpati idols of Mumbai.
Lalbaugcha Raja
Photograph courtesy: Nehul J Kumar Follow/Creative Commons
The Lalbaugcha Raja or King of Lalbaug is undoubtedly one of the most popular and iconic Ganpati idol in Mumbai. Millions of people visit this idol every year to worship and offer their heartfelt prayers. Lalbaugcha Raja was founded in 1934 and is the only place where you can witness the utmost devotion with which people come here. This idol attracts almost 1.5 million devotees every year. The belief among devotees is that visiting Lalbaugcha Raja will help you overcome all the obstacles and that are thrown your way. The idol of Ganesha here is also known as the Navsacha Ganpati which means the one who fulfills every wish.
For several years, this mandal has been organizing a Mukh Darshan ceremony which involves a sneak peek of the Ganesha. The Lalbaug Sarvajanik Ganeshostva Mandal put in their best to make these arrangements. The unveiling of Labaugcha Raja is covered by media across India. If you are planning to visit the Lalbaug, you should be well aware that there are two different queues. One is the Navsachi line and the other is the Mukh Darshanachi line. Since Lalbaugcha Raja is popular and known for fulfilling wishes, the ones who believe this can get into the Navsachi line. This line will take you to the stage or to the feet of Ganpati’s idol. You get a chance to touch the idol’s feet and offer your prayers. People have stood for 36-40 hours to get a darshan. Such is the devotion and faith.
The second line is the Mukh darshan line which is a darshan of the idol from a distance. You get to look at the idol without getting too close. This line attracts people in large numbers and usually it takes up to 14 hours to get a darshan. This is how popular Lalbaugcha Raja is. This year this iconic Ganpati idol is in its 82nd year.
And if you are wondering, who makes these beautiful and majestic Lalbaug idols, it is the Kambli family who have been bringing life to these idols since decades now. They have a quaint workshop in the lanes of Lalbaug, closely located to the main pandal. Ratnakar Kambli who is the head of the Kambli family has always been a sculptor. He quite often held exhibitions that displayed his work of art. Ratnakar got his skills from his father who was also a sculptor. His father began sculpting Lalbaugcha Raja from 1935 and he got this opportunity thanks to couple of his friends who recommended his name and work to the organizers of this mandal. After his demise, it was his eldest son Venkatesh who took over and after that Ratnakar stepped in. Their workshop is called Kambli arts and their design is patent protected. They first make the parts and then take these parts to the pandal where they assemble it and give it finishing touches. The final touch comes from Ratnakar who is now 73 years old who draws the eyes of this idol, the the most attractive part about the idol. It feels like the Ganpati is looking at you with so much affection and joy.
Bhandarkarcha Raja
The Bhandarkarcha Raja mandal is another very famous Ganpati mandal in Matunga, Mumbai. Unlike any other mandals you see, this one is very different. All the funds that they get are not collected from people by going door to door. Instead it is all charitable based. The whole mandal strongly stands against the idea of collecting funds from people. In fact even the jewelry that you see on the idol of Bhandarkarcha Raja is donated by families that stay nearby. The same families again donate their jelwery and money for the next year’s idol and this how this mandal works. And after Ganesh Chaturthi is over, they take back this jewelry back home. Another vey unique part about this Ganpati idol and mandal is that they feed over 20,000 people in their 11 day celebrations, most of who belong to slums and are underprivileged. You must visit this Bhandarkarcha mandal not just for the beauty of the Ganpati idol but also to support and encourage their noble cause. Kids are given chocolate bars instead of sweets.
Ganesh Galli Mumbaicha Raja
A photo posted by ©Mumbaicha Raja, Ganeshgalli (@raja_mumbaicha) on
Dec 7, 2014 at 9:34am PST
Mumbaicha Raja which is located in Ganesh Galli is another most popular Ganesh mandal with one of the most beautiful Ganpati idols. This idol is situated just a few lanes away from Lalbaug, it attracts a large crowd every year. Mumbaicha Raja is one of the oldest Ganesh pandals in Maharashtra, Ganesh galli started Ganpati celebrations in 1928 with an aiming of inspiring people to fight for their rights. In the 10 day festival, they would organize many interesting plays inspired from mythology like Ramayana and Mahabharata to spread India’s rich culture and heritage. In 1977, to celebrate their 50th year, Ganesh Galli made a stunning 22 feet idol which also became the very first biggest Ganesh idol in Maharashtra. This mandal is well known for their creative and unique themes they use every year. They often symbolize famous places of India and last year they symbolized the Bajrangbali temple of Gujarat. The nearest railway station is Chinchpokli and the waiting time for darshan can be from 20 minutes to few hours.
Khetwadi Ganraj
Khetwadi Ganraj is famous in the city for its beautiful Ganesh idol. Also an award winning mandal, the Khetwadi Ganraj was started in 1959, but is popularity reached the masses in 2000. It is said that in 1984 the members of this mandal had started collecting 1 rupee coins in order to achieve their dream of making the largest Ganpati in the state. And in 2000, they finally realized their dream and made one of the highest Ganpati idols standing at 40 feet high. This was also the very first in Indian history that an idol this tall was made. Since then there has been no looking back for the Khetwadi Ganraj mandal. The most interesting part of the Ganpati idol here is that it is adorned with real gold jewelry. In another particular year, they also used real diamond jewelry for decoration. As you enter the lane that leads you to Khetwadi Ganraj, you will be happier thanks to the numerous small Ganpati idols. So in one place, you will have plenty of Ganpati idols to visit. Located in Girgaum in South Mumbai, this idol is much more than what you expect. Last year they based their set on Moti Mahal of Madhya Pradesh and erected a 14 feet tall idol with a crown that had fascinating peacock feathers and also American diamonds.In the past, they also came up with themes like Sheesh Mahal, Swarg Mahal, Deep Mahal and also the Raj Mahal. This is one mandal that every year doesn’t cease to impress with their beautifully decorated idols and themed mandals.
GSB Seva Kings circle
G.S.B Ganapati Mandal Wadala Mumbai A photo posted by ohjung18 (@ohjung18) on
Sep 5, 2014 at 7:28am PDT
GSB is also known as gold Ganesh by Mumbaikars. The idols made in GSB Seva Mandal are always adorned with pure gold. It is said that they use more than 60 kg of gold and hence it is also known as the richest Ganpati idol in Mumbai. People who founded this mandal belong to the Gowd Saraswat Brahmin community from Karnataka and they conceptualized this in 1954. Over so many years, it is said that this idol has answered many prayers and this is another reason why it attracts such a huge crowd every year. Most of these devotees offer donations in the form of cash and gold. The music played in this mandal is always traditional music and they also host many programs as a part of their celebrations. The sight of this magical gold Ganesha idol will leave you in awe. The main reason why people come here is not just to take Ganpati’s blessings but also to see the gold adorned idol. The immersion of this idol happens on the fifth day and they remove all the parts that are made of gold and use it again the next year.
Andhericha Raja
Andhericha Raja was first started by employees of Tata Special Steel in 1966. However, now the mandal is managed and run by the Azad Nagar Sarvajanik Utsav Samiti. Ask any Mumbaikar from the suburbas and you know that this idol is as important as Lalbaug is to the whole of Mumbai. The idol however may not be too tall but it definitely is known to fulfill every wish asked by devotees. Andhericha Raja leaves no stone unturned to make sure that every year they have a different theme and like every year just like everybody else, we too are waiting to see this year’s theme In 2013, they made a replica of the Mahaganpati temple that is situated in Ranjangaon, 50 km away from Pune. The immersion of Andhericha Raja happens on the last day and it takes approximately 20 hours to reach the spot where the idol is immersed.
Girgaoncha Raja
Girgaoncha Raja is one of those very few idols in the city that are made of clay. Eco-friendly Ganesh idol is what everybody should follow. The clay that they use for their idols is called Shadu clay which is transported from West Bengal. This clay is also used to make Durga idols during Durga pooja. Another great tradition is that the Patkar family has been in charge of making these beautiful Ganesha idols and this tradition has been going on for the last 85 years. Every year they make a Ganesh idol that is over 20 feet high. This mandal aims at spreading the message of using eco-friendly Ganpati idols so that more people take inspiration from this.
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Mumbai are one of a kind experience. You do not necessarily have to be a believer to be a part of these celebrations. Just visit these beautiful mandals to experience and feel the whole festive vibe. On the last day of Ganesh Chaturthi, that is during Ganesh Visarjan, the city is filled with people on the streets. The procession of big idols like Lalbaug and several others take a longer route so that people can get a final darshan. Most of these idols also have music bands and dhol tasha that makes these procession even more fun. People dancing to these beats, chanting of, ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya’ – the whole atmosphere has a good feel to it. And to get a first-hand experience of these, there is no better than city than Mumbai. This year make sure you visit these Ganpati
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