Mumbai: As the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi approaches, the people of Maharashtra are busy preparing to welcome their beloved deity, Ganpati Bappa, with grandeur and devotion. While many Ganesh pandals across the state are vying to attract devotees with their unique themes and decorations, one pandal in Mumbai stands out for its opulence and splendor.
The Gaud Saraswat Brahmin Seva Mandal in the Kings Circle area of Mumbai has established the ‘richest’ Ganesh idol in the city, adorned with 36 kg of silver and 250 grams of gold. This is the 69th year of the Mandal’s Ganpati festival, and they have spared no expense to make it a memorable one. The mandal has also taken an insurance cover of Rs 360.45 crore for the idol and the pandal, which is expected to draw lakhs of visitors during the 10-day festival.
The manual’s representative said that they welcome all Ganesh devotees to their pandal and that they have arranged various special events and rituals for the occasion. He said that on September 20, they will perform a special havan for the smooth construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, which is a matter of faith and pride for many Hindus. He also said that on September 19, they will perform another special havan to celebrate the successful launch of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which is a matter of national pride and scientific achievement. He said that they prayed for a successful mission and that they are proud of India’s space program.
The manual’s representative also said that they have taken care of the security arrangements for the pandal and that they have installed high-density cameras with facial recognition technology. He said that this would help them to monitor the crowd and prevent any untoward incidents.
The Gaud Saraswat Brahmin Seva Mandal is not new to fame and controversy, as it also created the ‘richest’ Ganesh pandal last year with an insurance cover of Rs 316.40 crore. The Mandal had decorated the idol with gold and other precious materials ornaments, which had attracted both admiration and criticism from different quarters. The mandal had defended its decision by saying that it was their way of expressing their love and devotion to Ganpati Bappa.
