India is a land of diversity and festivals.
Among all the festivals, Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chaturthi is celebrated extravagantly in Mumbai.
You must visit Mumbai during this time of the year. The pomp and grandeur would definitely enthral your senses.
People in Mumbai, wait and save for an entire year to celebrate the auspicious 11 days.
Lord Ganesha was originally worshipped by Chhatrapati Shivaji. The British had banned public gathering during their rule. As a mark of protest, Bal Gangadhar Tilak revived Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations to promote public gatherings. The gatherings also instilled a sense of nationality among the people. The feeling of unity was essential for the freedom struggle.
Today, the grandeur has scaled to different heights. Now, it is quite a spectacle to behold in the streets of Mumbai.
As you would be travelling around the city, it would be pocket-friendly to book an hourly hotel to rest in between, instead of booking for your entire stay.
Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in almost every house. The festive air can be felt in every street. Artists labour hard for months to build clay idols of the lord.
Besides the regular idols, some artists build customised idols for major mandals. People travel far and wide to view the creative splendour of the mandals. Some of the major attractions in Mumbai are:
- Lalbaugcha Raja
Lalbaugcha Raja rarely fails to astonish people. It is one of the most famous Mandals. You absolutely cannot afford to miss this place.
The mandal is a favourite among people and they spend hours to view the mandal's finesse and pray to Lord Ganesha. After completing the tour, it's a great idea to rest in a nearby hourly hotel before going over to the next big Mandal.
2. Ganesh Galli Mumbaicha Raja
Ganesh Galli Mumbaicha Raja outperforms expectations every year. The mandal in Parel is an amusing spectacle for all the visitors.
3. Khetwadi Ganraj
Khetwadi Cha Ganraj in Grigaim, South Mumbai is famous for the intricately decorated idols. The idol is heavily decorated by gold and diamond jewellery.
It is definitely one of the major crowd-pullers of the city.
4. GSB Seva Ganesh Mandal
GSB Seva Ganesh Mandal in King's Circle is famously known as the richest organiser of Ganesh Chaturthi in the city. The beautiful and gigantic idols are made of eco-friendly clay and gold. They often use as much as 60 kilograms of gold for the stunning decorations.
5. Andhericha Raja
The idol at Andhericha Raja in Andheri is revered as the "icchapurti Ganesh". Devotees firmly believe that all wishes are fulfilled if prayed sincerely. Hence, many people visit the mandal on the auspicious days. Moreover, many celebrities also visit the mandal. Their presence attracts many people.
The mandal is elaborately decorated with a theme. The organisers have confirmed that last year they chose their sponsors for the year 2062 because many people offer to sponsor every year.
6.Fort Vibhaag Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal
Fort Vibhaag Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal is famous for their spacious and artistic pandals. Moreover, they are renowned for their active participation in social causes. They had earlier donated a machine for endoscopy to a hospital. Last year, they donated a machine for dialysis.
All the rituals are followed traditionally. You must definitely visit the pandal to witness traditional authentic rituals.
7. Chinchpokli Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal
Chinchpokli Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal is one of the oldest organisers of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. The festivities started in 1920. It was begun to commemorate the life and works of Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
The organisers donate heavily for social causes.
8. Sahayadri Krida Mandal, Chembur
Sahayadri Krida Mandal in Chembur is renowned for their artistic themes. Their themes range from social causes to Bollywood.
Chembur is a suburb in the eastern part of the City of Dreams. It might be a wise decision to rest in an hourly hotel in Chembur for a good night's sleep.
There is a pandal celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi at almost every corner of the city. The above list mentions just a few of them. Once you land in Mumbai, there is a high chance that you might get bewitched by all the extravaganza and grandeur.
While the intricately designed pandals are enchanting, the immersion processions are equally captivating. The processions are so charming that many agencies organise "Visarjan Tours".
On the 11th day of celebrations, almost all the beaches of Mumbai are filled with devotees. Girgaum Chowpatty in south Mumbai is particularly famous for idol immersions. You can visit any beach on that day to be a part of the immersion rituals. However, you should plan your travel in advance because roads often get blocked by heavy traffic. The immersion of the idols mark the end of the festivities. People pray that the following year they are healthy and prosperous to celebrate the festival with equal grandeur.
As the festivities end, you should not forget to savour the various delicacies. The Ganesha Chaturthi special delicacies are Modak, Puran Poli and Nariyal Laddoo.
Modak is a delicious sweet, popularly made of flour with jaggery and coconut filling.
Some of the shops famously known for selling these mouth-watering desserts are: Modakam, New Karachi Sweets, Aaswad, Adarsh Mithai Mandir and MM Mithaiwala.
Ganesha Chaturthi can be a great time to exhibit your products. If you can manage to get a stall license in the vicinity of a famous Puja Pandal, you can cater to a large audience. While all day you would be busy at the stall, you can always book an hourly hotel to rest and freshen up whenever required.
Right after landing in Mumbai you can relax at an hourly hotel near the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. This is a great idea because it is very important to relax after a long journey. This helps to enjoy a vacation better.
By chance, if you travel around Vashi or Dadar, you can always check-in at a local hotel. Like every other place they are extremely hospitable.
You need not post-pone your Mumbai travel plans over accommodation worries. The city is host to many couple-friendly hotels.
During this time, accommodation becomes quite expensive. For a budget-friendly trip you must prefer dayuse or hotels by the hour.
Nevertheless, everyone must visit Mumbai during Ganesh Chaturthi and enjoy an Indian festival in all its splendour. After the elaborate celebrations you would enjoy the pomp and grandeur at Kolkata during Durga Puja.