“The greatness of a culture can be found in its festivals.”
Siddharth Katragadda
Ganesh Festival in Mumbai
The four months from end of July to November in India are the holiest for its majority Hindu population. The literal translation in Sanskrit/Hindi is Chaturmasya/Chaumasa. Chatur/Chau means four and masya/masa a month. According to scriptures, these are the months when Lord Vishnu goes into a meditative sleep. The devout immerse themselves in spiritual pursuits and offer ardent prayers by celebrating festivals.
The sixth month in the Hindu almanac, Bhadrapada or Bhaadon, falls during these four months. It is during Bhaadon that Lord Ganapati (Ganesha), the remover of obstacles, comes into Hindu homes, villages and cities of Maharashtra, India for a full 10 days. A celebration par excellence sweeps the entire state and all other activities ceases to welcome the elephant God on his birthday.
Beginning on Chaturthi (the fourth day of the new moon), the festival culminates after 10 days with the Lord being taken to the sea for immersion on Anant Chaturdashi (fourteenth day of the new moon). Thousands of pandals (marquees) come up across Mumbai to house the largest of Ganapati. Official 2019 statistics inform over 7500 public and 30,000 household idols across the city.
Ganesh festival – A public event
Until the year 1892, the festival celebrations were homely except during the reign of Maharaja Shivaji when they were a public affair. The festival, as seen today, is courtesy of the efforts of the freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak. He took notice of a Pune resident’s initiative of putting up a public Ganesha idol, a first, and propagated the idea through his newspaper Kesari. The first such public display in Mumbai at Keshavji Naik Chawl (housing society) is continuing this tradition for 125 years now!
Each marquee tries to outdo the other in decorations and size of the idol. Last year the tallest idol stood at 32 feet, the average being 15-20 feet. Devotees consider some as wish-fulfilling like Lalbaugcha Raja (The king of Lalbaug – an area in Parel, Mumbai). Others are famous for their rich gold ornaments – the GSB Seva Mandal (Service Circle). Mumbaicha Raja (King of Mumbai) and Andhericha Raja (King of Andheri, a Mumbai suburb) are for its lavish replicas of famous temples.
Immersion – A celebration
And then it’s time to bid farewell to our most beloved God; One who comes to us once a year instead of us going to Him. We take these idols to the sea and other water bodies for immersion. Most households take their deities on the fifth day of the new moon. In some family traditions, they establish Ganesha with his mother, Parvati. They take the idols together for immersion on the fifth day of the festival.
Mumbai immerses its public idols on the final tenth day of the festival. Idols from all over the city start their journeys from the marquee to the closest beach or water body in a larger-than-life procession. It is a one-of-a-kind celebration where both young and old chant ‘Ganapati Bappa Morya, Pudhchya Varshi Lavkar Ya’ (My Friend Ganapati, come soon again next year) all along the immersion route.
Since it is the end of Monsoon, the procession normally happens while it rains. The downpour doesn’t deter the devotees from staying immersed in the prayers of the Lord. The entire city comes to a standstill as they divert road routes, offices shut and a sea of masses heads to the sea to send off Ganesha.
This post is an attempt to recreate the magic of those moments which we will miss this year, but like all Mumbaikars (Mumbai-ites) we will hope to receive the Lord early next year.
